HUNDREDS of children are working illegally in Bolton, with many of them skipping school to do their jobs, according to town hall bosses.

And now Bolton Council has recruited child employment officer Debbie Selby specifically to tackle a job previously done by education social workers.

The Bolton Evening News went out with Ms Selby on one of her first sweeps around town as she tried to catch illegal workers.

Her main tasks are to ensure schoolchildren are not being exploited, and to raise awareness of the law among employers and parents.

She receives a lot of information about suspected illegal workers through anonymous tip-offs.

On the day we shadowed her, she discovered through one such tip-off that a girl under the age of 16 was missing school to work in a Bolton restaurant.

But the only information Ms Selby had about the girl was her name.

Youngsters under the age of 16 are allowed to work in restaurants -- as long as strict guidelines are followed. For instance, they cannot work in certain areas of commercial kitchens, such as near frying pans, and must not work beyond 7pm.

Ms Selby went to the restaurant and approached the manager. He told her that there was a girl with the same first name who worked there -- but she was 17. He suggested she try a different restaurant in the town centre.

As Ms Selby does not have the power to demand proof of age or identity, she had to take the manager's word.

She went to the suggested restaurant, but staff there assured her the girl in question did not work with them. They suggested another restaurant where the girl might be working.

If the child employment officer wants to be sure that managers are telling the truth in such circumstances, she will have to "stake out" the premises -- which can be time-consuming.

She said: "To stake out one employer could take hours. Also, I often do not know what the child looks like."

It may seem as though Ms Selby faces a tough task with little power. However, she is able to remind employers of the law -- which can often be enough to get them to change their ways.

She says: "Most employers are eager to work within the law. At least by going round to employers, I'm getting the message across. I am hoping that I will build up good relationships with employers."

Any employer who has a person under the age of 16 working for them, whether it is paid or unpaid, a Saturday job, paper round or holiday work, needs a licence.

Employers also have to keep a list of schoolchildren they employ. Any business without an employment licence for a pupil faces a fine of up to £1,000.

There are thought to be hundreds of under-16s working in Bolton, but since 2001 only around 450 employment licences have been issued.

Employers must observe strict guidelines with youngsters. Children must be at least 13 before they can legally work and even then can only undertake light tasks.

There are also restrictions on the number of hours and the type of jobs they can do.

Ms Selby said: "Since I've started, I've had quite a few calls from employers who have been ringing up to check that everything they are doing is above board."

She has also encountered several misconceptions about the laws. Several families running businesses do not realise they needed licences for relatives who were working for them.

And many employers do not realise that they needed a licence even when a child is only helping them.

Under-16s are also not allowed to do milk rounds in Bolton -- although other boroughs do allow children to do milk deliveries.

Ms Selby has received a very positive reaction from the vast majority of employers she has encountered.

However, because of the high turnover of child staff, some employers have found it hard work obtaining licences for each new youngster -- who may work for just one week. Ms Selby says: "I am trying to work with them. I would like to come to a compromise with them that is within the law."

The council has not yet prosecuted any employers for breaking child employment laws. But Miss Selby's work has made a difference. Since January, 840 application forms for licences have been forwarded to employers.

Copies of each licence are kept by Bolton Council, the employer and the child.

She is now targeting newsagents, milk deliverers and hair salons -- sectors which tend to be major employers of children -- to raise their awareness of the laws.

Anyone employing school children can receive licence application forms by contacting Ms Selby on 01204 332067.

ON CALL: Debbie Selby relies heavily on tip-offs from the public to catch children working illegally

"Even if children are only helping them, as long as they are working for someone who is running a business for profit they need a licence," says Ms Selby.

"A lot of it is common sense. We get lots working in the construction industry but under 16s can not work more than three metres off ground or single floor levels."