A GENERATION ago, town centres, playing fields and village greens would be swarming with unaccompanied children enjoying the apparently endless freedom of the long school holidays. Many of them would be accompanied by a tribe of small brothers and sisters for whom they were caring to give mum a break. Here’s a jam sandwich. Be back by tea time….

These days there seem to be hardly any free-range children on the loose. It’s eerie. Like the start of a spooky film. Those children I see are mostly accompanied by grandparents – another sign of the times.

Traffic apart – a very real worry – is the world really that more dangerous than 40 years ago? Or do we just think it is?