Teachers call Police on Primary school boy

Schools have no 'power' over children once they're off school premises. Staff can however lose their jobs if they fail to report any child protection issue. I assume the Child Protection Officer in school, reported it to the appropriate person outside school, who contacted the police.

Well, if he really did buy all the goods it is said that he bought with his earnings - a phone, a bike, a coat, etc - he must have sold a great many air fresheners at £1 a time.

Anything could have happened to a young boy standing on a garage forecourt at dusk or in the dark! And he could have been mugged for his earnings. I assume his parents bought the air fresheners for him initially and they must have been aware of the phone, bike, etc that he bought.

Legally he was not allowed to be working, and a very vulnerable position for him to be in.

Not the best advert for entrepreneurship !

Probably trisher.

If the child had been abducted would the mother have blamed the Tesco staff for not watching him?

How it works if a

Silly errors

Chestnut that's not how it world is a child is deemed at risk of imminent harm

I feel both the school and the parents were in the wrong. My grandchildren would not be allowed to stand alone at a petrol station. Staff are busy and can't watch him all the time. If he was snatched you could say the forecourt is covered by CCTV, but does anyone want their child being part of a Police hunt? So he really is at risk being there.

The school should have discussed this with the parents before making any official move. The Police should only be called in as a last resort.

I’m surprised the petrol station let him sell air fresheners ( the hanging car sort) that they sell.

15 minutes of fame?

We watch people on tv news being interviewed and ask "Where do they find these people!"

That seems a very vulnerable position for a boy of 9 to be in.

I didn't think children could work in the UK until they are 13.

No, no, no, there's more to this story. It all sounds like the mother wants her time in the headlines.

It was a safeguarding issue.
The school did the right thing as did the police.

A perfect abduction opportunity
Especially at a petrol station.

Enterprising, yes, but a nine year old cannot foresee all the dangers.
Very young children, even of his age, are being recruited by drug dealers to run county lines.

Realistically, the teacher who saw this should have reported it to the safeguarding lead at school who should then pass on that concern to local authorities.

They should not be on blast for looking out for children's welfare, that's part of their responsibility and training.

Mum has kicked up the biggest fuss here, not the teacher.

I personally don't think this is a safe situation for a 9 year old child at all.

Also I noticed that the tesco staff were under the impression he was saving for a present for his sister yet, he has a new bike, phone, tracksuit and whatever else it was and the situation didn't seem planned to end soon. It is already dark 1 hour after school.

I can understand everyone showing concern for the child's welfare, yes. So many dangers lurking.
I think it's more a parental responsibility rather than a school one being as it's not in school hours. If the parents feel comfortable with it then so be it, though it's not something I'd condone at any age, let alone 9.

Yes, I can understand why the teachers rang the police too.

Perhaps the school should have spoken to the parents first, but a nine year old should not be doing this with the petrol station staff ‘keeping an eye on him’. They couldn’t possibly watch him all the time and I can’t think that any responsible parent would think this is ok. A perfect abduction opportunity. It’s not a police matter as he seems to have been working for himself, rather than being employed, but he should be safe at home and doing his homework rather than training to be the next Del Boy. He’ll probably go far but being able to back up his excellent entrepreneurial instincts with a decent education would be helpful. I think the days of millionaires having started out at the local market are long gone.

No one was right and no one was wrong. It sounds enterprising of the boy and innocent enough, but it could have gone very wrong for him. And I can see why the school thought it not their role to intervene directly.