Daily roundup 7 June: Age restrictions, mutuals, and Bob the Builder

More than half of UK parents believe that age restrictions are not working effectively and want stricter regulations to be introduced online, researchers have found. A study of 1,500 parents, conducted by age verification provider AgeChecked, found that 57 per cent of parents worry current age restrictions do not go far enough to curtail the online activities of their children.


Organisations that are aiming to establish themselves or expand as public service mutuals can now apply for a share of £1m in government funding. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said applications for funding will be open until 5pm on Friday 29 June.


A nurse has had her one-year-old son removed from her care after a social worker said the way she let him sit in a Bob the Builder toy car was "inappropriate" for his age. The BBC reports that social worker told a private family court hearing in Reading she had concerns about the woman's "basic parenting skills". She said the woman had also not fed her son or changed his nappy appropriately. Judge Eleanor Owens ruled the boy should live with relatives.


The Department for Education has announced six new members to the new Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. The independent panel, which is chaired by former children's minister Edward Timpson, will be responsible for identifying and reviewing serious child safeguarding cases which the panel believe raise issues and themes that are complex or of national importance. The panel members are Sarah Elliott, Mark Gurrey, Karen Manners, Professor Peter Sidebotham, Dale Simon, and Dr Susan Tranter.


Amazon and eBay are among retailers pulling a brand of cuddly smart toys from sale after warnings they pose a cyber-security threat. The BBC reports that concerns were raised about CloudPets products in February 2017 after it was discovered that millions of owners' voice recordings were being stored online unprotected. Manufacturer Spiral Toys claimed to have taken "swift action".