Kirstie Allsopp felt 'sick' after social services referral over son's inter-railing

Kirstie Allsopp said she felt really unwell when social services got in touch with her about letting her 15-year-old son travel around Europe by train.

This week, the broadcaster shared on social media that her son had come back from a three-week trip overseas with a teenage friend, all without any adults accompanying them.

Allsopp was very surprised to hear that Kensington and Chelsea Council had contacted social services about the situation she had talked about on X, once known as Twitter.

A representative from the council stated that the safety of children was their top concern.

Allsopp's son journeyed to various European cities with a 16-year-old companion earlier this summer, including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Marseille, Toulouse, Barcelona, and Madrid.

She informed her followers on social media that she had made the decision to let him go because society is becoming more cautious about risks, and children must build the self-assurance that comes from having trust in them.

Talking on BBC Radio 4's show Broadcasting House, she mentioned: "All of his group have now reached the age of 16."

Similar to many young individuals attending Reading or Leeds festivals or exploring Europe, some may be considered younger due to their age group.

Allsopp mentioned that she was unaware of the identity of the person who reached out to social services or the specifics of the report.

She mentioned that she didn't want to sound negative about the outstanding social services, but she was surprised by the phone call.

Allsopp went on to say, "Belief in oneself is built on self-reliance and autonomy, from accomplishing things on your own."

My son is skilled. He came up with the idea, made the plan, and saved the money.

He approached me and asked, "Am I allowed to do this?" and I couldn't find any reason to deny him.

"And when I brought up the fact that he had accomplished it, my intention was to motivate others."

A representative from Kensington and Chelsea Council stated that ensuring the safety and protection of children is of utmost importance.

We consider every referral we get very important and we are legally responsible for children who are under 18 years old.