With new government proposals on smacking children announced recently, where 'safe smacking' guide lines were revealed, where it has become a criminal offence to hit a child with any kind of implement, and where punishment likely to cause injury to the head is also prohibited.

The Cornish Times took to the streets of Liskeard to ask - 'Should smacking be banned?'

Mother of seven, Marilyn Lamb said: 'Smacking should not be banned, however it should just be for discipline and not violence. If you start teaching your children discipline early on then there will be less need for smacking.'

With Marilyn, Andrew Lamb added: 'To punish a child you start with stopping their privileges, such as television and computer games. Smacking is always the last resort for teaching discipline.'

A recently issued Government consultation paper canvassed various changes which could include stopping anyone but a natural parent from smacking a child, a move that would make smacking by unmarried fathers, step-parents and grandparents illegal.

Kirsten Cape with her daughter Rhiannon said: 'Smacking should be justified and only used as a last resort.'

Her sister Gemma Cape agreed and said: 'A tap on the hand is reasonable enough but nothing more than that.'

Despite years of attempts by campaigners to get smacking outlawed, Ministers believe that such a rule would be 'unreasonable, unenforceable and in-trusive'.

Mother of five boys, Tina Prinn said: 'My boys can be a bit of a handful at times but I always try to reason with them first, before grounding them, and stopping them from going to their youth club. Basically the privileges go first and smacking is definitely a last resort.'

There was a common sense division acknow-ledged by all asked, between mild physical punishment in families and the beating of children.

Pearl Bulmer, in town with her friend's son, Aarron McDowell said: 'I don't think children have to be smacked. I have never smacked my grandchildren but certainly they have been chastised. Children do have to be disciplined but smacking is not how you go about it. I have seen mothers in town really smack their child hard when it did not seem necessary.'

Sarah Tyler believes that smacking should definitely not be banned. She said: 'If the parents' right to smack their child as a last resort for discipline is taken away what will be the alternative? I certainly do not believe in using implements to smack a child, a tap on the hand or the leg may happen after the child has been chastised and privileges taken away and the child still has not taken any notice.'

Some people believe that smacking children can create an unhealthy atmosphere of confrontation within a family, causing more aggravation and inflaming what are difficult situations to start with.

Vivian and Sylvia Dennis agree that the issue of smacking has been 'blown out of proportion'.

Sylvia said: 'No-one wants children to be abused but there must be some form of discipline. Nowadays it can be difficult for families to see the line between discipline and aggression.'

Vivian added: 'I certainly got the cane plenty of times when I was young but it never did me any harm!'