A HUDDERSFIELD University child expert has been chosen to lead a research team for a national children’s charity.

The NSPCC has sponsored Prof Nigel Parton, the university’s expert in applied childhood studies, to lead a network of researchers in child protection policy.

Prof Parton (pictured) has been a lecturer at the university since 1977.

During the 1990s he led the social work division and then took up a role in child care studies.

He then became director of the university’s centre for applied childhood studies, before being appointed by the NSPCC.

Phillip Noyse, the NSPCC’s director of public policy, said: “The charity has been conducting research for many years and it is a key part of our work.

“For some years we’ve been establishing research programmes with various universities around the country.

“We have had a very close relationship with Huddersfield University for the last decade, previously sponsoring a readership there.

“The time is now right to work in partnership with an eminent figure in the field of child protection policy to co-ordinate a network of researchers across the UK and be a flagship figure for the NSPCC.

“We were very pleased to appoint Nigel to the post on the basis of his outstanding national reputation for his work in the field.

“Like us at the NSPCC, Nigel is very independent-minded and his ability to stand outside systems and rigorously analyse them is vital to our work.”

Prof Parton will look at how the internet and other technologies can be used to protect children and help social workers.