Bill seeks to stop parents exploiting children in media

Conservative MP Jacqui Lait this week launched a bill designed to protect children who may fall victim to their own families' greed.

She said the move was sparked by high profile cases such as the faked kidnap of Shannon Mathews and the furore surrounding the 13-year-old boy who was said to have fathered a child.

"These two cases have in common the misguided desire of a self-interested adult member of a dysfunctional family to profit by exposing their child to a media storm," Lait told MPs.

The bill calls for an amendment to the Children and Young Persons Act 1993, which would make it an offence for a parent or carer to cause the publication of information or photos that could significantly harm their child.

If found guilty they would face a fine or go to prison for up to two years.