So, a couple of crummy relatives, an utterly irresponsible adult (who's alright really) and some 'what ifs'.

And you extrapolate that to the world in general?

And nobody was telling you what to do with your children: they were reacting to your flat-out 'no, never' comments on a thread about, in essence, concerns re child abuse.

Not really. The people you've mentioned are obviously idiots. I wouldn't leave my child with them either. That doesn't account for why you think five-year-olds in general shouldn't have sleepovers.

My son's friends' parents bring up their children differently to how I bring up mine. They seem like caring, responsible people though, and my son is at no greater risk sleeping at their house than he is going to spend the afternoon/teatime there.

And this.

My daughter will be 10 soon and it is only in this past year that she been on a sleepover (I don't count her nan's house in this). I honestly think at aged 5 she would have never settled in a strange bed anyway, hence it never happened.

If it was me I would have gone round and done them both in, you can't take chances with paedos.

Its like Iraq and the WMDs thing, I know there weren't any, but just ask yourself, what if there were? You can't take chances.

Everyone is a suspect. Guilty until proven innocent.

I would say you have to be firm, straightforward and honest with the neighbours and say if you even get a sniff of something dodgy again you'll go to the police.

My family has had neighbour trouble(I'm 17 and still at home) and we've had things thrown over our driveway weekly and a hammer put through my dad's car window, obviously we can't prove anything but it happened within a couple of days of an argument with them.

if you think these neighbours are the type to do this sort of thing then speak to your local copper/PCSO, just so they know that if anything goes on they know who to speak to, also recommend getting some cctv installed

I'm not sure how much use some CCTV would be to be honest, because it wouldnt be able to look onto next door's property anyway.

it's a deterrent more than anything to stop any damage to your own home