'Ill-defined law will mean confusion'

Police, social workers and lawyers today united to warn of the dangers they could face enforcing the confused new law on smacking.

They said the legislation could lead to a flood of complaints and confusion because the law does not define clearly enough what constitutes an offence.

Under Lord Lester's amendment, parents are only allowed to give their children mild smacks. If a blow leads to actual bodily harm - which includes bruising, scratching or reddening of the skin - it is an offence. Caning and causing psychological distress are also outlawed.

Any parent who inflicted bodily harm on a child could be prosecuted and would not be protected by the "reasonable chastisement" defence, which dates back to 1860.

But senior child welfare figures said the change could lead to more bureaucracy, greater intrusion into family life and unnecessary investigations into minor incidents.

Terry Grange, Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys and national police spokesman on child protection, appealed for ministers to draw up guidelines on how the new legislation should be enforced. Mr Grange said problems would arise over definitions of what constituted an offence.

Allan Levy, QC, who specialises in child and human rights law, said: "It is substituting confusion with more confusion. Nobody will really know where to draw the line."