Daily roundup: Volunteer checks, violent images, and mental health

Parents who volunteer as trustees in pre-schools have been misguided over who should pay for their background checks, according to the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The early education organisation says parents have paid £44 costs and administration charges of up to £16 for the Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, which came in to force on 1 July. Following an investigation by the charity, the Department for Education has confirmed the volunteers should not pay the charge.

Almost a fifth of children who illegally download films say they are “disturbed” by them, according to a survey. The Industry Trust for IP Awareness found children aged between 11 and 15 were accessing films rated for older children, with a third saying they wish they had checked the classification before they watched it. Director general of the trust Liz Bales told the Independent age-appropriate guidance was now critical in protecting young people online.

Adolescents with mental health problems in Devon have been sent to units in Hull, Newcastle and Lancashire, while several have been admitted to adult psychiatric wards because of a shortage of inpatient beds for children. Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt raising concerns about the issue, reports the Western Morning Star. Rising demand and a shortage of residential places for those suffering from the most serious problems has been compounded by a massive shake-up in the NHS, he claims.

Council chiefs in Wigan are being urged to spend a recent windfall on creating new apprenticeships for jobless school leavers. The Wigan Evening Post reports that the council is set to receive a £1.55m share dividend after selling part  of its stake in Manchester Airport Group. Deputy leader of the council, Michael Moulding, said that the cash should be used to invest in 150 apprenticeships in the borough. “This would be money well spent for years to come,” he said.

A volunteer at Bebington Youth Club in the Wirral has been found guilty of touching a boy, as well as assaulting another youngster who is now an adult, after a three-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court. Stephen Lundy, who had been volunteering at the club for 30 years, would drop in for cups of tea and chats as well as carrying out odd jobs and electrical work, reports the Liverpool Echo. The allegations about him came to light last year when a boy told his parents that Lundy had touched him inappropriately while he was playing on his Playstation.

And finally, Prime Minister David Cameron has visited the largest youth club in the country. The Wigan Evening Post reports that Cameron officially opened the town’s youth zone, meeting staff and children at the building. He said: “To be here today to see this incredible, thriving club gives me great pleasure. It’s a great day for all the young people of Wigan because you’ve got this extraordinary facility to use night after night and in the school holidays.”