Synopsis:

An examination of a police juvenile liaison unit in Blackburn, which was banned by its funders, the BFI, following pressure from the police. Members of the BFI Production Board resigned as a result. The film stirred up a great controversy for its depiction of the harsh treatment doled out to children brought in for minor offences. The most memorable exchange is between a seven year-old boy and a police sergeant, who subjects the child to a terrifying ordeal and whose career was effectively ended by the film.