Playtime pay-outs

The thousands of pounds paid out by Rotherham Council to children following minor accidents at schools across the borough offer a damning indictment of modern-day Britain.

Some of the incidents, such as the £5,750 paid to a pupil who had hot custard spilt on their hand in the dinner hall, would almost be amusing, were it not for the severity of the issues raised.

Firstly, Rotherham Council, like every local authority in the country, is currently being forced to make major savings across the board.

And while the council says compensation payments are covered by insurance and so do not directly affect its education budget, the reality is that huge amounts of staff time and energy will be wasted each time one of these ludicrous claims is made.

With staff being cut from every department, these are serious and worrying distractions they should not be forced to deal with.

More disturbing still, however, are the conclusions we must draw about a society which views the everyday rough and tumble of childhood as a litigative matter worthy of hefty financial compense.

The molly-coddling of our children is becoming of increasing concern, with fewer and fewer schools now prepared to take youngsters away on trips or engage them in outdoor activities for fear of recriminations if something goes wrong.

Until the law affords them some basic protection from predatory lawyers and parents who, frankly, should know better, they can hardly be blamed for such caution.

Most importantly of all, what message does it send to these youngsters, to be told they are entitled to such huge sums of money after falling off their bike at school? What values are being instilled in these coming generations?

Clearly, schools have an enormously important duty of care toward our children, and there must be some form of redress on the rare occasions that genuine negligence occurs.

But it seems clear that scraped knees and playground bumps should never be matters for the courts.