Peter Clarke: children’s champion

Tributes have flowed in for Peter Clarke, the children’s commissioner for Wales, who has died aged 58 following a battle with cancer.

First minister Rhodri Morgan praised the commissioner, who he said had ensured the views of children and young people were heard by government.

“He could be a demanding champion for children but that was his job. He always fulfilled his duties with passion, dedication and commitment. In the past six years, many thousands of children and young people have benefited, and will benefit in the future, from his work.”

Clarke was the first children’s commissioner in the UK when he took up his post in March 2001.

Barnardo’s Cymru director Raymond Ciborowski said that Clarke had “worked tirelessly” to draw attention to the need to improve child and adolescent mental health services in Wales and had also “championed the cause of looked-after children”.