You report about the demands to end smacking by the Children Are Unbeatable alliance which includes Sir Richard Branson and Helen Fielding (Citizen letters 12/06/04). The Green Party, which is also part of the alliance, believes that hitting children is always wrong.

In the UK we lag behind our peers in the areas of human rights and child protection. The UK has ignored two calls from the UN to outlaw physical punishment and continues to abide by its current child protection law, which dates back to a time when wife beating was also quite "acceptable". At least ten other European countries have banned smacking.

Half of our children are hit at least once a week and 75 per cent of mothers have hit their children before their babies first birthday. Yet we find 74 per cent of parents say they are in favour of a ban on smacking. This is perhaps like the majority of smokers who want smoking banned in public, because they know it is stupid and want help with stopping.

Banning smacking is not about controlling our private lives, but about giving our children the same legal protection from physical harm already accorded to adults. Every prosecution has to pass a "public interest" test. Nobody goes to trial for gently smacking an adult's arm so why would they if it belonged to a child?

Sweden, has found a ban on smacking, along with promotion of positive methods of discipline, has reduced stress and improved relationships within families - how can anyone be against such a measure? It is time we demonstrated that we no longer believe the most defenceless people in society deserve the least protection.

Sue Nicholson, Gloucestershire Green Party