“Children must be protected and positive parenting encouraged”, says Eoin MacNeill Workers Party representative in East Belfast.

His comments come in the wake of a children’s charity report which argues for updated local legislation banning the smacking of children

“The physical and mental wellbeing of our children must be paramount”, Eoin said.

“I would like to see us adopt legislation similar to that in Scotland under which all forms of physical punishment of children are against the law with children having the same legal protection from assault as adults”, he said.