POLICE today said they were still pursuing investigations into whether any criminal offence was committed after a boy received injuries as he and friends copied stunts from controversial TV show Jackass.
The boy's mother complained to police last week as the Lancashire Evening Telegraph carried a picture of him having his forehead punctured on a bed of nails.
Police revealed the news after East Lancashire MP Janet Anderson announced she would raise her concerns over the programme at Westminster with Culture, Media and Sports Secretary Tessa Jowell after a string of horrific incidents in her Rossendale and Darwen constituency.
She has been deeply alarmed at the Evening Telegraph's revelations of youngsters being involved in dangerous stunts based on the programme.
Former Broadcasting Minister Mrs Anderson is backing the family of 10-year-old Joe Armstrong, badly burned jumping over a fire as he was sprayed with petrol, in their complaint to TV regulation body OFCOM. Joe, of Tunnel Street in Darwen, is in Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester, following skin grafts on burns to his body.
He was hurt as his friends made a video for a controversial website based on the programme, which also showed the boy having his forehead punctured by nails. Then Beverley Clare, whose 15-year-old son Michael set up the website, was videoed driving into him for a prank. Police are now investigating the incident and Mrs Anderson said she was fully behind their investigation and the major OFCOM probe.
She said: "There have now been so many tragic or potentially tragic incidents as the direct result of people being influenced by this ridiculous programme that I really think it is high time for OFCOM to consider whether it is suitable not only for young people but for anyone to watch.
"OFCOM clearly needs to make clear to parents the need to stop their children watching programmes such as this because of the effects they have. I shall be putting down a Parliamentary Question to Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also clearly a problem with young people preparing websites based on the programme.
"The police are right to look into these issues and OFCOM should also investigate. It's vital that parents keep a close eye on what their children are watching both on TV and the website.
"My children have seen the programme and say it involved cool-looking young Americans performing these stunts. But it is not cool. It's highly dangerous and could be fatal."
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