A crackdown on underage youngsters working milk delivery rounds is being staged across Kirkless, a council enforcer today warned.

It is believed more than 100 children are employed on early-morning rounds across the district, placing their health, welfare and education in danger.

While Kirklees is one of a handful of authorities in England which allows under 16s to deliver milk, its bye-laws stipulate they must not be working before 7am.

Alan Brunning, the council's Youth Employment Officer, said many companies were flouting these regulations - but he warned that the net was closing in on them.

He said: "To say that there are 100 children working on morning milk rounds across Kirklees would be a conservative estimate. Because of the nature of the job, the majority of these will be out working before 7am, which obviously goes against the bye-law regulations."

Mr Brunning said all young workers, but particularly those on milk rounds, were a concern to the council.

"If you have a child working on a milk round they may well be falling asleep in lessons, turning up late to school or not turning up at all," he said.

And he added: "Because they are out there very early in the morning, most of these firms do not think they will be caught. Our message to them is that they are being watched."

Under the bye-laws introduced in November last year, any employer intending to take on a young person must apply for a permit from the council.

It also states that 13 to 16-year-olds can only work two hours between 7am and 7pm but not during school hours and only one hour before school.

Madaline Lock, Bradford Council's Attendance Co-ordinator, said it had never had to take legal action against a firm, adding this was very rare nationally.

drew.kendell

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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