The paper related incidents showing the group's founder, Matt O'Connor, as something less than a superhero. It says he has been arrested for breach of the peace, cautioned for criminal damage and prosecuted for being drunk and disorderly. It reports that the group's deputy leader, Eddie Gorecki, who scaled the Royal Courts of Justice dressed as Batman, assaulted a woman at a family barbecue. He was subsequently jailed for affray and assault. David Chick, who climbed the London Eye dressed as Spider Man has been convicted of a lewd act in a men's toilet.
The report says that a couple of members resigned in disgust or protest at the sexist behaviour of the men - passing round intimate photographs and telling unsuitable jokes in front of young children.
Quotes from the women close to the campaigning fathers are damning. "He is a thug and he shouldn't represent decent fathers," said one of Gorecki.
Jackie Steele, the wife of one ex-member, agrees with the group's aims, but added: "The fathers who shout the loudest are the ones whom the courts have reasons to prevent seeing their kids."
- The Sutton Borough Guardian's headline was: '"U R Xcluded' text message from school stuns mother". The Daily Mail's was: "Boy of 10 expelled by text message."
Well, up to a point. As the articles explained, 10-year-old Meshack Bennett was excluded permanently by the head teacher of Cheam Common Junior School.
He was sent home with a letter notifying him of the exclusion. Another was posted via recorded delivery. The head says he also made eight or nine calls during the day to Meshack's mother's mobile, the only phone she has. But battery and connection problems meant the calls were cut short.
It was after having failed to get through that he sent a politely worded and apologetic text message outlining the situation.
The Department for Education and Skills guidelines on exclusions do not mention expulsion by text. The guidance is: "Whenever a head teacher excludes a pupil, the parent must be notified immediately, ideally by telephone followed up by a letter within one school day." W@s wrng wth tht?
- Shoplifters, joyriders and tearaways as young as six are to be sent to military training camps under a government attempt to instill discipline in disruptive children, said The Independent.
This is all very interesting. But not half as compelling as an article with the six-year-old joyriders would have been.
SOUNDBITE
"We concentrate on girls because of the pregnancy aspect but boys should be sexually responsible too"
Tony Blair, Prime Minister, talking to a group of teenage girls about sex education.
