WE live in a society which sometimes, in my opinion, creates excessive health and safety regulations which impact on our daily lives, where common sense should prevail.

But for so many, unless they see it in black and white, they just ignore the issue and forge on and we can’t be too careful where the health and wellbeing of our children is at stake.

What shocked me this week was the news from the NSPCC that there were more than 160 cases of sports coaches engaging in sexual activity with 16 or 17-year-olds in their care since 2016 and this is because there is a legal loophole within the Sexual Offences Act. These figures cover England and Wales, but I don’t think we in Scotland can be complacent and assume we don’t have a problem.

This Act makes it illegal for certain professions, including teachers and doctors, to engage in sexual activity with children, even if they are over the age of consent. The problem is the legislation doesn’t extend to sports coaches, who in many respects can create a closer one-to-one relationship with their athletes in a more relaxed environment where they can build up trust, which is obviously, in some cases, being abused.

Clearly change is needed. The Ministry of Justice is reviewing the legislation, and says it will outline its plans “in due course”. This really isn’t good enough, and should be done immediately. We read too often in the papers of cases coming to light years after the offence has been committed. What we don’t always read about is the misery and heartbreak endured by young victims during the abuse and the long-term damage. We also don’t hear about the wider family problems, parents who feel guilt at not having noticed what was happening.

With something so simple, in my opinion, as changing a few words in an Act, why procrastinate? Let’s just get it done now.