A ST HELENS teacher said he has seen pupils returning to school following Covid lockdowns with American accents due to watching video games and YouTube videos.

Geoff Logan, who is also a councillor on Halton Borough Council, made reference to the phenomenon during a meeting of the local authority at Runcorn Town Hall.

During a full council meeting, in which the Labour Councillor for Norton North, who is also chairman of Halton Council's Children Young People and Families Policy and Performance Board, told members that more needed to be done nationally to help improve the life chances of children starting school following swingeing cuts to services.

After Halton recently opened its first ‘family hub’ in Widnes, Cllr Logan said the project has been described by some as a 'pale immitation' of Labour's own Sure Start programme.

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In the meeting he told members: “There are 75 family hubs, but thousands of Sure Start centres have closed. We are one of the authorities lucky enough to have family hubs.

“We've got to make sure that we utilise those family hubs so that we are helping the poorest, most vulnerable to have a sure start in life, because at the moment, there are children who are starting school still wearing nappies.

“Once  upon a time you couldn't start nursery if you were still wearing nappies. Children are starting reception with speech problems. Some of them can't speak."

Mr Logan added: “I personally have knowledge of children who returned to school since the various lockdowns and online sessions with American accents, because they spent a lot of time watching video games and watching videos and YouTube videos which are all done with American accents and their voices have changed.”