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Jack Straw calls for urgent action over Blackburn with Darwen council email probe
7:00pm Tuesday 9th March 2010
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- By David Watkinson » Chief reporter
JACK Straw has called for “urgent and firm” action to be taken against any council staff found guilty of circulating an email containing a shocking image of a naked child.
It comes as bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Council revealed that the investigation following the suspension of six workers in its children’s depar-tment will last for two months.
Blackburn MP Mr Straw said: “The allegations are disturbing.
"I hope that the investigation is thorough and as speedy as possible.
“If there is any wrong-doing discovered I am sure that the council will take urgent and firm action.”
A leading children’s charity said the claims were ‘disturbing’.
One photograph shows an otherwise naked youn-gster apparently covered in sanitary towels.
His private parts are also covered. Another image shows three young boys urinating, one of them naked.
The episode, revealed by the Lancashire Telegraph last month, is being treated as a ‘child protection issue’.
Bosses at the council have now launched an investigation.
The e-mail, titled “Why boys need mothers”, contains 12 pictures of children who are misbehaving.
The images also include one boy swallowing a frog.
Claude Knights, director of the children’s charity Kidscape, said she feared the children pictured had been abused.
In a statement Graham Burgess, chief executive of Blackburn with Dar-wen Council, said: “A complaint has been made about use of the council's IT system.
"This is being looked into.”
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Your Say YourLancashire
masterdebater.co.uk, says...
7:34pm Tue 9 Mar 10
blueandwhitey79, clayton-le-moors says...
7:58pm Tue 9 Mar 10
RAyzer, BURNLEY says...
8:15pm Tue 9 Mar 10
!!l
Tosh67, Blackburn says...
8:22pm Tue 9 Mar 10
Claude Knights, director of children’s charity Kidscape, said she feared the children pictured had been abused
i rest my case from my rants above, lunatics the lot of them. it was humour/comedy/having a laugh for f sake what is wrong with these labour lunatics?flip side of the coin is what do these prats laugh about?
Slimplynth, Blackburn says...
8:53pm Tue 9 Mar 10
“If there is any wrong-doing discovered I am sure that the council will take urgent and firm action.”
...changed into a title...
"Blackburn MP calls for urgent action over council email scandal"
He hasn't called for anything, he simply stated that any wrong doers should definitely be dealt with swiftly and appropriately; which no-one can disagree with.
(No i'm not a Labour member, just being objective.)
What is or was holding up the investigation?
onlyonesimongarner, ewood says...
8:55pm Tue 9 Mar 10
Pity about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi mothers and children that Jack and his murderous Firm put to the sword in their very dodgy war
Was that not abuse, and should they not be brought to book about it
Not going to happen though
slackerbtch, Blackburn says...
11:55pm Tue 9 Mar 10
and did you know that catalogues show pics of kids in their underwear?
child **** is everywhere!
so if a member of staff was say browsing for a holiday, or some new clothes, would they be suspended for that? after all, the children were exploited in those glossies.
for f*cks sake, Kate Hollern and the senior management at BwDBC need to get a grip of themselves. And of course get a sense of humour AND perspective.
retired one, Blackburn says...
9:39am Wed 10 Mar 10
If they have time to fool around like this, then they are over-staffed and cuts should be made.
Slimplynth, Blackburn says...
10:04am Wed 10 Mar 10
chappyhappyness, darwen says...
11:08am Wed 10 Mar 10
I do not believe there is anything 'obscene' in it at all.
if they were part of a video , the owners would no doubt be looking at a cheque from 'You've been framed'
wackyracer, Blackburn says...
11:43am Wed 10 Mar 10
wackyracer, Blackburn says...
11:50am Wed 10 Mar 10
wbags, bracknell says...
1:39pm Wed 10 Mar 10
'Urgent & firm action' should be taken against the idiot managers who suspended the staff and also against the person who complained in the first place. They are wasting time and resources (and we the taxpayers are footing the bill).
blueandwhitey79, clayton-le-moors says...
3:32pm Wed 10 Mar 10
wackyracer wrote:oooo touched a nerve have i? or you insecure about something?
blueandwhitey79, have you seen the picture? No. therefore shut up you idiot. The pictures are of kids doing silly stuff. How many times do we have to tell you idiots this??? And after a hards day's work saying 'yes sir no sir to all you members of the public'', listening to all your complaints and moans, sorting out all your problems, fears, and distress. are we not entitled to have a few minutes of fun with the people we work with, just to keep us going.
blueandwhitey79, clayton-le-moors says...
3:33pm Wed 10 Mar 10
wackyracer wrote:get a proper job then you **** or stop moaning about it
retired one. did you work EVERY hour of the day? Like hell you did. You sit there on your comfy arse doing what? What did you contribe today? the amount of cr*p we have to put up with is amazing. and then we have to listen to some ungrateful resident like you?
district01, Blackburn says...
4:19pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Must be after some sympathy votes. Could there be a reason for this, a coming election perhaps? He really does take us for fools!
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So Jack, how about having a word with your friend Balls. He seems to like having his picture taken with children all the time, does he not?
wackyracer, Blackburn says...
4:34pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Ken Shuffles, burnley says...
5:59pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Not that I want to stereotype anyone of course.
CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
6:40pm Wed 10 Mar 10
There is NOTHING disturbing in any of the pictures. The police would not rate any of these pics as disturbing.
The fool at Kidscape thinks they are abuse because the childs human rights have been breached because they did not give permission - that DOES make us all abusers of our children!
What a total load of tosh! The politians and anyone saying the pictures are sick should be VERY embarrassed. Look before you try gaining votes or making stupid non relevant comments.
Verbal warning fair enough for breaching email rules (but then all staff who have done this should be given one INCLUDING managers!) but suspension while WE pay for them is a disgrace.
Totally, Blackburn says...
8:20pm Wed 10 Mar 10
Give the staff a warning about breach of acceptable use policy and send them back to work - the biggest crime here is the blatant waste of taxpayers' money on the suspensions and investigation.
Given half a chance I would get out of this country for good I'm losing faith in the idea that there is any way back we're torn between bankers and do-gooders - great!
Slimplynth, Blackburn says...
10:30pm Wed 10 Mar 10
CapitaBackHander wrote:FFS i wish some people above would actually read the story and Jack Straw's comment. I wonder if the MP's get emails circulated with funny/stupid comments that people come out with on forums like this?
Can't be bothered reading all this nonsense again. ANOTHER politian who has NOT even seen the email they feel they can comment on.
There is NOTHING disturbing in any of the pictures. The police would not rate any of these pics as disturbing.
The fool at Kidscape thinks they are abuse because the childs human rights have been breached because they did not give permission - that DOES make us all abusers of our children!
What a total load of tosh! The politians and anyone saying the pictures are sick should be VERY embarrassed. Look before you try gaining votes or making stupid non relevant comments.
Verbal warning fair enough for breaching email rules (but then all staff who have done this should be given one INCLUDING managers!) but suspension while WE pay for them is a disgrace.
jackmetickler, Plymouth says...
8:01am Thu 11 Mar 10
ste.g, blackburn says...
8:46pm Thu 11 Mar 10
CONCERN: One of the less offensive pictures allegedly circulated by council staff
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moggy669, darwen says...
7:07pm Tue 9 Mar 10
Hypocrites...