Telford man jailed for breaching harbouring notice
West Mercia Police says its officers will use whatever powers available to them in order to protect young people, after a man was recently jailed for breaching a harbouring notice.
The assurance comes after a 20-year-old Telford man was sentenced to seven weeks in prison on Tuesday, 12 February, for breaching an order aimed at protecting a 15-year-old girl from the Leegomery area.
The man pleaded guilty at Telford Magistrates Court to two counts of taking a child from a person with lawful control for that child, on two separate occasions earlier this month.
Harbouring notices are official written warnings given to someone by the police on behalf of a parent or carer of a young person, instructing them that they are banned them from seeing that child and that they will be arrested for child abduction if they continue to do so.
Superintendent Amanda Blakeman from the force’s public protection unit said: “Parents and carers of young people often feel powerless to stop a relationship or friendship between their child and an adult, especially if there is no proof that any criminal offences have taken place.
“Harbouring notices put the onus on the behaviour of the adult involved by letting them know that the person with parental responsibility for that child does not want them to see their child. It gives an individual a very strong incentive not to allow or encourage children on their premises, or they will be arrested for child abduction.
“I hope the custodial sentence for this offence in Telford sends a clear message that we will take positive action against any adult who is suspected of having a harmful relationship with a child and we will use whatever powers available to us in order to protect young people from harm.”
