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[26 November 2007] - Some young people are having their human rights violated as a result of excessive safety restrictions being placed on them, according to Scotland's children's commissioner. Kathleen Marshall also said many rules imposed on children in care were stunting their development. She highlighted the case of one child who claimed children in care were not allowed on a bike ride without being accompanied by a member of staff carrying bicycle repair and first-aid kits. Ms Marshall's comments came ahead of a report based on research by the Scottish Institute for Residential Childcare. Ms Marshall told BBC Scotland's Politics Show that some safety restrictions, such as rules on the use of cycling helmets, were sensible. But she added: "What we've discovered in this research is that people in residential establishments are often being very risk-averse and are basing their practice on rules they think are written down somewhere, but it's a kind of distortion of old rules." Ms Marshall, said agreement on a common way forward was needed, and added: "Excessive restrictions on the lives of children and young people breach their rights to healthy development, to associate with friends and to engage in sports and activities. We're actually harming them in many ways." Further information