Should Travelodge-Staff, Been More Discreet....

[trt]

or handled the situation better than they did?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4381724/Widower-accused-PAEDOPHILE-Travelodge-staff.html

[emmie]

they should have asked the chap discretely not called the police, they were somewhat heavy handed imo.

[jno]

this is troubling, isn't it. Parents can't leave the house with their children without carrying ID.

[mikey4444]

Ruddy appalling of the Travelodge staff !

[jno]

goodness, that link takes you to a real perv's page today! Braless Ariel Winter. Nice coconuts, Heidi Klum. Kourtney Kardashion's perky derriere. Braless Jennifer Aniston.

Thanks for driving their page views up...

[emmie]

perhaps its time to take your passports every time you leave the house with your children, draconian but maybe that's the answer, does seem like a case of overkill.
Poor bloke he just can't win, do something nice for them both and get the police breathing down your neck.

[hc4361]

Staff have been trained to follow this procedure in these circumstances.

[237SJ]

Call the police and ask questions later - seems like they got it the wrong way around.

[mikey4444]

Emmie...the Police had no option but to attend and if the DM article is correct, handled the situation as best they could in the circumstances.

Which is more than you can say for the Travelodge staff, who now appear to hiding behind some guff about "company policy"

[EDDIE51]

They should have just made a remark like 'How old is your daughter? Mr Smith? She looks a lot like her dad!
His reaction would have told them the answer!
But I assume something like 75% of Travelodge staff do not have English as their 1st language and are not in the habit of making such 'small talk'

[mikey4444]

Wouldn't a quick word with the daughter have cleared this up ?

[hc4361]

The hotel staff were acting within the training they received under Operation Makesafe

https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/protecting-you-and-your-family/childsexualexploitation/Pages/Operation-Makesafe.aspx

[mikey4444]

hc...I ave a quick look at your link and it seems to give certain circumstances in which to act, none of which seems to be true for this case ::::::

https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/protecting-you-and-your-family/childsexualexploitation/Documents/Op-Makesafe/CoLP%20Op%20Makesafe%20Hotel.pdf

[youngmafbog]

Yes it would.

This Travelodge employee is either vindictive or very thick.

It is clots like this that undermine people who are really taking care to watch for pedophiles.

[237SJ]

I thought they had received guidance from the NSPCC. What has the City of London got to do with it?

[andy-hughes]

The Travelodge response contains two points, one welcome, the other fatuous.

It said that 'finer judgements need to be made' - I assume that would being able to tell a happy child obviously adoring her dad, and a victim of a paedophile who would be rather less bouncy and bright.

The second said that 'lessons would be learned ...' - we'll leave that there shall we ....

[hereIam]

Bit heavy handed, but isn't it the way of the world now ?

[cassa333]

Perhaps it was a bit heavy handed so the staff but they have been given instructions on dealing with potential for exploitation of vulnerable people and children.

How much noise would there be if he had said yes she is my daughter so all is OK. Only to find he was a paedophile and the girl was abused there. What would the talk be of them not doing anything and look what happened.

It is as usual dames if they do and dames if they don't

[ToraToraTora]

This is a sad indictment of what we have become, adult men have to be so careful. I am absolutely terrified of my child relatives for this reason. Sad very sad.

[hereIam]

Yes I agree with that TTT, like I said the way of the world now ...

[andy-hughes]

cassa - I would not for one minute suggest that every man who arrives with a child for a double room should be waved upstairs with a smile and an early morning call time.

But a degree of mature common sense needs to be applied - and that should be a basic for people trusted as receptionists dealing with the public.

If you can't tell the difference between a child who is obviously thrilled to be there, and very obviously with her father, and a child who is there under duress with a man she does not know, then you should not be in a job where you interact with the public.