Boy becomes father at age of 13

A schoolboy who has become a dad at the age of 13 has insisted he will be a good parent.

Alfie Patten's girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, 15, gave birth to Maisie Roxanne in Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex, four days ago.

Police have said they are not looking at prosecuting anyone in the case of Alfie, who stands just 4ft tall and looks young for his age.

The teenager, who told The Sun "I thought it would be good to have a baby", admitted he did not think about how he would afford to raise his child, saying: "I don't really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me £10," he said.

Alfie, who lives with his mother Nicola, 43, in Eastbourne, was 12 when Maisie was conceived. The pair, who have the support of their parents, kept the pregnancy secret until Chantelle's mother Penny noticed her daughter's swollen belly.

Alfie said: "When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react. I didn't know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it."

His father Dennis said his son wanted to be a devoted and responsible father, but did not fully appreciate what he had taken on by having a child.

He said Alfie had wanted to be the first to hold his child. "He could have shrugged his shoulders and sat at home on his PlayStation. But he has been at the hospital every day," he said.

Chantelle and Maisie have been discharged from hospital and are living with her family in a council house in Eastbourne.

Neighbours in the quiet residential area spoke of their shock at the revelation. Retired hospital porter John Holmes, 90, said: "I'm surprised really. He is such a nice boy. I would hardly dare go home if I was a dad at 13."

England has long had the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in western Europe. Jenny Teague, of Dorset, was for many years regarded as the UK's youngest mum giving birth in 1997, aged just 12 to Sasha.

And Zoe Hodgson, of Birstall, West Yorkshire, was 12 when she conceived and 13 when she gave birth in 2005 to son Leo, whom she used as inspiration to continue her studies, passing 11 GCSEs.

Tony Kerridge, spokesman for the sexual health specialist Marie Stopes International, called for better children's sex education starting in primary school.

He said: "Fortunately the education department has made an announcement that it will start sex and relationship education for primary age school children and that is a positive move.

"Having said that it's the quality of the education that needs to be looked at very closely.

"All the evidence from other countries, particularly Scandinavia and Holland, clearly demonstrates that the earlier you start giving young people proper information so that they can make informed choices it does two things - it delays first sex which is really important, and when that sex act does take place the couple usually negotiates some kind of contraceptive usage."

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