Cleethorpes businesses have been visited by officers from North East Lincolnshire Council in an effort to stamp out the illegal employment of children.
The visits were led by the North East Lincolnshire Modern Slavery Partnership, who work to raise awareness of modern slavery human trafficking, and were joined by officers from North East Lincolnshire Council, Humberside Police, and the NEL Community Safety Partnership.
The visits were paid to a number of businesses in the resort as part of a proactive themed calendar set by the Humber Modern Slavery partnership.
In the UK, it’s illegal to employ a child of school age without a child employment permit, and those convicted of doing so can face a fine of up to £1,000.
There are some circumstances which are exempt from this, including periods of work experience arranged by schools.
Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “It’s important that businesses follow the law and keep up to date with legislation. Child employment permits have been around for a long time and there is no real excuse for businesses not to be aware of the need for them.
“The license is there to prevent the exploitation of children, and I’m pleased to see the team going out and visiting premises following reports that they’ve received.”
Visits were paid to a number of businesses, and whilst no evidence of child employment was found on the night, officers will carry out some work with those businesses to ensure that the proper permits are in place where required.
