WE WISH to comment about the letter from Mary Rowntree of Durham (HAS, June 17), who asks whether any of the protesters against the proposed children’s homes in the Stockton area have bothered to get any information.

Well, Ms Rowntree, we have. The Hartburn Residents Group and the Stillington Group have tried for more than nine weeks to obtain profiles of the children who may move into Hartburn or Stillington.

Both of the parties involved in the joint venture, where they share a 50/50 profit, were economical with the truth. All we got was that the children have social, emotional and behavioural problems.

Neither Stockton council nor the child care provider, Spark of Genius, have given us a straight answer until last week when they finally confirmed that the children who could move into these properties could have a mixture of: challenging behaviour, place of safety requirements, specific learning difficulties, an Autism Spectrum Disorder, substance and/or solvent and alcohol misuse, significant trauma and attachment issues, and poor mental health.

Even Cleveland Police are giving conflicting information. You only have to look at the crime figures that we have obtained to wonder why we, as residents of the areas, are so concerned.

No one is saying that these children do not deserve a chance.

We fully support Stockton council’s decision to bring them back to the area providing it is the right area for them. There are a lot of elderly people who live in the immediate vicinity who are deeply concerned about.

Before chastising the people of Hartburn and Stillington, please look into the facts.

Hartburn Residents Group.