IT comes as something of a shock to learn that in Blackburn and Darwen, in the final years of the 20th century, children are being exploited by unscrupulous employers.

A report, commissioned by the borough council, reveals that some youngsters are paid as little as 35 pence an hour and that almost 70 per cent of children with jobs get less than £2 for an hour's work.

This is a large step in the wrong direction and it is also a step back in time.

Dickens wrote at length on the evils of exploiting children. And while there is not the widespread grinding poverty of his time, the principle is the same.

There are still greedy employers around who see children as nothing more than a means of making a fast buck.

It is also a symptom of the poverty in some sections of our area.

Only last week this newspaper carried a report about the Salvation Army captain in Blackburn who had what he described as starving families turning up at his centre because it was the only way they could get a decent meal.

This new survey also showed that although school age workers are required to obtain a Certificate of Employment from their school or doctor, only four per cent of employers asked for them. Many children also worked outside the legal hours, which are 7am to 7pm, and some started work before the legal age, which is 13.

Others were doing what were described as dangerous and demanding jobs such as packing, cleaning, catering and engineering.

In short, there are employers in Blackburn and Darwen who are not only paying youngsters a mere pittance, but who are also driving a coach and horses through regulations which are designed to protect children.

This sheer exploitation of minors has to be stamped out.

The survey, carried out by a Liverpool University researcher and backed by the GMB union, may have come as a shock.

But, if it is acted upon, it will help children in this area to get a fair deal.

If the survey has identified the children, it has also identified the employers.

So the authorities should have no problem in tackling those people and making sure they adhere to laws which are designed to protect our children.

Those employers who persist should be prosecuted.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.