Greater protection for young people has been called for after a survey found half of youngsters had suffered discrimination because of their age.

The ICM poll for the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) questioned 7-17 year-olds and found almost half (49%) have experienced unfair treatment because of their age.

More than a quarter - and 40% of 16 and 17-year-olds - said they had been treated unfairly because of their age while out shopping.

Just under a quarter (23%) of seven to 17-year-olds and half of 16 and 17-year-olds had been treated unfairly because of their age when using public transport

More than one in five young people aged seven to 17 - and a quarter of those aged seven to nine - reported discrimination when using local sports, leisure or play facilities.

Nearly one in five of those aged seven to 17 - and a third of 16- and 17-year-olds - had been treated unfairly when visiting a cafe or restaurant.

Carolyne Willow, CRAE's national coordinator, said: "Children and young people face discrimination wherever they go. This is harmful to the individuals concerned and an attack on family life."

She said the Equality Bill - which reaches the report stage in the House of Lords on Tuesday - will not protect the under-18s.

The Bill contains aims to harmonise and, in some cases, extend existing discrimination law covering the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Ms Willow added: "It sounds like a bad joke - a new law banning age discrimination which discriminates against people because of their age. Of course children shouldn't have exactly the same treatment as adults, but neither does the Equality Bill propose that a 25-year-old should have exactly the same health or social care as an 80-year-old. "Everyone should be protected by equality laws, whilst making provision for people's differences: a law which deliberately excludes a fifth of the population is not something to be proud of."

Article from Express