Daily roundup: Twitter, online grooming, and identity theft from dead children

Calls for an inquiry have been made following allegations that staff at the Department for Education have used Twitter to launch political attacks on opponents. The Observer reports that the account @toryeducation is used to attack critical stories about Education Secretary Michael Gove and his department. The paper, whose political editor Toby Helm was subjected to criticism from the account, has called for an inquiry. It says that issuing party political material and indulging in personal attacks are both “clear breaches” of the special advisers' and civil service code.

Children are being increasingly groomed by paedophiles purely for online sexual abuse, parents have been warned. Ahead of Safer Internet Day tomorrow, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) said an increasing number of abusers are not motivated by physical contact with children. The Independent newspaper reports that out of a total of 1,145 recorded incidents of online grooming last year, only seven per cent related to attempts to meet a child in person, a five per cent drop from 2011.

Police stole the identities of around 80 dead children to provide fake documents for undercover officers, an investigation by The Guardian has found. The paper said the practice, carried out by a now disbanded Metropolitan Police team, mainly took place in the 1980s. The Met said the practice is not “currently” authorised, and has announced an investigation into the past use of undercover identities by the Special Demonstration Squad.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has denied that negotiations between the Lib Dems and Tories on affordable childcare have broken down. The Sunday Times reports that Clegg wrote to party members insisting there was no split, arguing that the coalition is considering 15 different schemes. The assurances followed a letter last weekend from business secretary Vince Cable, who told a constituent that the Conservatives wanted tax breaks for high earners to make childcare more affordable, while the Lib Dems favoured increased use of tax credits and childcare vouchers that can be offset against tax.

Youth unemployment could be reduced by 20 per cent in three years if local approaches are used to tackle the issue, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. An LGA report, Hidden Talents II, found that local approaches are most effective in reducing the number young people out of work, but are hampered by “excessive bureaucracy, duplication and central government control”, despite councils having the duty to help young people. “Councils are in a unique position and can play a pivotal role in identifying young people that are likely to slip into periods of long-term unemployment,” David Simmonds, chair of the LGA's children and young people board, said.

The right to play and take part in recreational activities has been strengthened by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Children have had a right to play under Article 31 of the UNCRC for some years, but it is considered by many as “the forgotten article” of the convention. An official statement issued by the committee has now defined the responsibilities of governments under the article, to help foster understanding of how the article should be implemented through law.