Is the world going mad? Are all men guilty until proved innocent? Is there so much danger exposed to our children when they take part in organised events?

The Government have today announced that parents who regularly drive children for sports or social clubs will have to undergo criminal record checks or face fines of up to £5,000 under new rules.

Along with parents who host foreign exchange students, they will fall under the scope of the Vetting and Barring Scheme, the Home Office has confirmed.

There is a real suggestion here that Government is losing the plot on this issue. At the very least it is a further civil liberties intrusion, at worst it will threaten the existence of small sports and other clubs.

What next ? Why not check out prospective fathers when their partners get pregnant? Why not get schools to carry out checks on parents who want to place their kids in their school?

It’s frankly ridiculous and we are in serious danger now of moving to a society of visible and invisible checkpoints. Perhaps this was one of the aims of the ID card scheme – they could carry our criminal record check details 

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the government was “in danger of creating a world in which we think every adult who approaches children means to do them harm”.

“Should parents who give other people’s children a lift to sports matches really face a £5,000 fine and criminal record if they fail to register?”

I wonder how long will it be before they extend this to the elderly or the disabled?

The worlds gone crazy.