Poor Alfie

In the story of young parents Chantelle and Alfie, I cannot be the only one who is harbouring a nasty suspicion that Chantelle's mother, Mrs Steadman, has been manipulating her daughter and Alfie Pattern from the start.

Chantelle is 15 and Alfie 13, and he is supposed to be the father of her daughter, Maisie who was conceived when Alfie was only 12.

What makes my flesh creep is that Mrs Steadman knew her daughter was having sex with other boys, even supposedly catching her at it, although she denies this hotly. Despite the fact that her daughter was sexually active, Alfie was allowed to stay over regularly at her house, sleeping in Chantelle's room, and even keeping a school uniform there.

Chantelle, who, tragically, must be gaining the reputation as the biggest slut in England, had sex with Alfie too, inevitably I suppose, although they don't know for sure that Alfie is the father.

So, if Chantelle's mum knew that her daughter was sexually active, and encouraged Alfie to sleep with her, it could only be because she wanted everyone to think that the baby was fathered by the youngest boy. She would know that this would result in huge publicity, and, by consequence, huge amounts of money.

The whole business makes me think of Shannon Matthews and her evil mother who had her 'kidnapped' for financial gain. Mrs Matthews got eight years in jail.

Chantelle's mum seems to have actively encouraged her daughter's pregnancy and then spread the rumour that Alfie must be the father despite the fact that he was only 12 when they had sex. Doesn't it seem fishy? Six other boys have come forward as potential fathers to the baby, all older than Alfie and all saying they had sex with Chantelle around about the time the baby was conceived.

Alfie will be opening the DNA paternity test in front of the cameras. Poor kid. How exploitative can you get? Is this what modern parenting has sunk to? His parents should be protecting him, not throwing him to the lions! Formerly, kids from deprived families were sent out to work and went down the mines, up chimneys and into the mills. We thought we had moved on from those terrible times. Now though, they are kidnapped or practically prostituted and then exploited for publicity and huge financial gain.

One wonders how many other hard-faced weasel old bats are plotting the use of their children in some sordid tale to be used and abused by the tabloids in exchange for celebrity status and loads of dosh. Mrs Matthews is serving time. If Mrs Steadman is guilty of deliberately lying about Alfie's paternity for financial gain, I hope she also goes down for fraud. They would have a lot to chat about in prison, she and Mrs M...