In June 2010 home secretary Theresa May called for CRB checks to be ‘scaled back to common sense levels’. Yet a Manifesto Club report reveals that councils are wasting millions on unnecessary CRB checks – at a time of cutbacks in frontline services.

The Manifesto Club report, Vetting Tree Surgeons, finds that nearly a million checks a year are being carried out by local authorities – at a cost of £45 million.

Councils CRB checked hundreds of parent volunteers in schools, including parents listening to children read or helping out at the school disco.

They also checked tree surgeons, library workers and leisure centre managers – even though these people do not work with children.

The Manifesto Club is calling for proper penalties for unnecessary CRB checks – and for the investigation of over-checking authorities.

Download the report Vetting Tree Surgeons