An MP has criticised the police after an officer raised concerns about the welfare of children living at a home targeted in a suspected burglary.
Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake said an officer who attended the incident at a family farmhouse in his Thirsk and Malton constituency checked on the living conditions of two children living there via a Public Protection Notice, which he described a “strange” response to a report of a burglary,
Mr Hollinrake said that a father had contacted the police with concerns about a suspected burglary but when officers arrived, they wanted to check on the family’s children due to “hygiene” concerns.
The officer also questioned whether there was enough food for them in the pantry, as well as commenting that the property had a “strong odour” and “sticky and dirty surfaces”, Mr Hollinrake said.
The MP, who is also chairman of the Conservative Party, roundly criticised the manner in which police acted with the “lovely family”. He then wrote to North Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable to complain about the force’s response.
In a video posted to YouTube, the MP said: “I think it’s utterly disgraceful, actually, the whole thing.
“You’re investigating a burglary, you go around to the house and then they seem to be more interested in whether the kids are being looked after than whether the burglary can be successfully investigated – which it wasn’t.
“They wrote back some days later to say they couldn’t get anywhere with the suspected burglary. But clearly they had interest in this family, they’re a lovely family. It’s just disgraceful.”
Mr Hollinrake added that he wanted the police to “focus on their day jobs” instead.
North Yorkshire Police has defended the actions of the officer, saying they “did the right thing” and are trained to check on the children in person in such a scenario.
Catherine Clarke, assistant chief constable for local policing and safeguarding, said: “A North Yorkshire Police officer attended a property in response to reports that there may have been an attempt to burgle the address.
“The officer followed appropriate lines of enquiry to enable an investigation to follow.
“Whilst at the address, the officer became concerned about the living conditions and possible health implications for children living there and, in line with their training, displayed appropriate professional curiosity to explore their concerns.”
Assistant Chief Constable Clarke added: “We have engaged with the family to support the understanding of why our officer took this action.
“We fully appreciate that Police Officers asking questions about the welfare of children may feel intrusive, however we would never apologise for taking a child-centred approach and for being proactive in ensuring that the wellbeing of children is protected.
“All of our officers and the public should be able to raise a welfare concern where appropriate for it to be properly assessed by qualified professionals. We would encourage this to ensure the most vulnerable in society remain protected from harm.”
