Kids with kids: Where are Britain’s youngest parents now

When the story of then 13-year-old Alfie Patten went viral, then Prime Minister David Cameron stated, “I just thought how worrying that in Britain today children are having children.”

Even before reaching the legal age to buy party poppers, Alfie became the youngest ever father in Britain. It was later determined that another young man, slightly older than Alfie was the real father, and this incident ruined Alfie’s life completely. Even today, he’s facing plenty of issues, including alcohol abuse and problems with the law.

However, the story of Alfie and the girl who gave birth to his alleged daughter isn’t the only one of youngsters becoming parents in Britain.

Tressa Middleton, the youngest mother in Britain, who gave birth to her first daughter at the age of just twelve, recently announced she’s expecting her fourth child.

The now 29-year-old mom shared the news of her pregnancy on the social media by posting a photo of the ultrasound. She welcomed her latest child 17 years after she made headlines for being the youngest mother Britain has ever seen.

“So guys, it’s another girl!!” she captioned her post. “Four girls, I can’t believe it. Good luck, Darren.”

Former Britain’s youngest mum Tressa Middleton with her daughter in 2006

Tressa’s story is a heartbreaking one. Her parents were alcohol and drug abusers and her childhood was a tough one, to say the least.

She fell pregnant at the age of 11 and gave birth at 12, shortly after finishing elementary school.

Following the birth of her daughter, the young mom battled depression and started using drugs and alcohol, which resulted in losing the custody of her girl. The baby was put up for adoption.

The father’s identity was kept a secret until 2009, or three years after Tressa gave birth.

At one point, she broke down and confessed that her daughter was her brother’s who s******y assaulted her from the time she was seven years old.

The 34-year-old Jason was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison in 2009.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2011, Tressa confessed that “sometimes he blackmailed or bribed me to do it.

“He’d say he was going to tell Mum. He’d give me things – joints, drink, cigarettes. Or he’d threaten me.”

Since then, Tressa has battled to put her life back on track and overcome her addictions, which cost her around £400 every day.

Up until 2011, Tressa was considered to be the youngest mother in Britain. But then, the news of an 11-year-old girl who gave birth filled the headlines.

The girl’s identity was kept a secret, but what is known, as per The Sun, that she was s******y assaulted and her family was unaware of that.

“It has come as a big shock,” a family friend said in 2021 to The Sun.

“She’s now being surrounded by expert help. The main thing is that she and the baby are OK.”

Prior to the case of Alfie, it was Sean Stewart who was thought to be the youngest father in Britain.

In 1998, Sean’s next door neighbor, Emma Webster, 15, got pregnant with his child. At the time, Sean was 11 years old.

A month after turning twelve, Sean’s son, Ben Louis, was born and Sean was granted a day off from school.

Sean and Emma were neighbors and according to her, he would climb to her rooftop to see her.

“He said he was 12, I’d never have gone out with him if I’d known he was 11,” she told The Sunday Telegraph at the time.

Shortly after giving birth, Emma married someone else and moved to a £200,000 house, while Sean continued attending his local school before leaving Bedfordshire in his early adolescence.

According to The Daily Mail, in the early 2000s, he was incarcerated for seven months for stealing.

Speaking of him, Emma said at the time, “I don’t know where Sean is or what he is doing. I don’t want to talk about it anymore because I don’t think it helps Ben.”

No matter how unbelievable these stories sound, the one that is the most shocking of all is that of Lina Medina from Peru who gave birth at the age of just five. Today, Medina is 89 years old.

When she gave birth in 1939, she became the youngest mother in the history. Allegedly, she suffered from “precocious puberty,” a disorder that causes puberty to start earlier than usual.

Teenage couples of a comparable age who have consensual s*x in the UK and are under the legal consent age of 16 are unlikely to face legal action.

But all s****l activity with children under the age of 13 is illegal.

I Found Another Woman’s Hair in My Bed — I Was Shocked to the Core When I Learned Whose It Really Was

When I got home from work, I found long blonde hair strands in my bed. The thing is, I have dark curly hair and live alone, with my boyfriend occasionally crashing over. Curious and unsettled, I checked the building’s CCTV footage and was shaken to the core when I learned whose blonde hair it was.

Ugh, Thursdays. They always drag on forever. And that evening was no different.

I practically crawled through the door after a brutal day of data entry, my brain fried and my feet screaming. All I wanted was a steaming mug of ginger tea and a good Netflix binge.

Slipping into my PJs, I pulled the covers back on autopilot. But then I froze. Right there, smack dab in the center of my white pillow, a single, glaring strand of blonde hair lay accusingly…

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

My heart did a double take, then plummeted to my stomach. My hair? Dark brunette, almost black, the kind that disappears against a black sweater.

This? This was sunshine blonde, the kind that practically glowed under the dim light of my bedroom lamp.

Panic clawed at my throat. I live alone. Completely. Utterly. Alone. So where the heck did this come from?

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Suddenly, a million questions swarmed my head… a tangled mess of “whys” and “hows.”

Was there someone in my apartment? Had there been a break-in? Or worse… was there someone I didn’t know? Someone who shouldn’t have been here, sharing my bed?

I glanced at the hair again, feeling more puzzled than ever. I needed answers.

“Who could it be?” I muttered to myself, my mind racing with possibilities as I stared at my bed.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

Alright, so maybe one blonde hair wasn’t a big deal. I thought maybe it could’ve snagged on something, but then… there were more. Like, creepy amounts scattered across my bed like tiny blonde soldiers.

This was officially WEIRD.

“Mission: Mystery Hair” began with questioning my boyfriend, Shawn, who occasionally crashes at my place. I presented him with the evidence: a clump of blonde strands on display like a crime scene photo.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Yo Boo Bear,” I said, holding up the hair CSI style. “What’s this all about?”

Shawn’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Whose are those?!”

“That’s the million dollar question, babe,” I said, my voice maybe a smidge shaky. “You know anyone with questionable blonde highlights?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

He furrowed his brow, looking like a betrayed puppy. “What the hell? Are you seriously accusing me of bringing someone over here, Evie?”

Ugh, no! That’s not what I meant AT ALL and stammered, “No, no, of course not! But these hairs didn’t magically appear during a blonde fairy convention, you know! Just trying to figure things out.”

Shawn crossed his arms, looking like a thunderstorm was brewing. “So you DO think I’m cheating? Seriously??”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Ugh, baby, NO! It’s about the freaking hair, not some big betrayal narrative!” I tried to keep it cool, but I swear my voice was doing that high-pitched dolphin thing.

He scoffed. “Sounds like you trust me about as much as a fly-by-night politician. Maybe I should just bounce if that’s how you feel.”

And BOOM! There it goes. Nuclear meltdown engaged. “Hold up, Shawn! Don’t go all nuclear just yet!” I ran after him.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Wait a minute,” I pleaded, trying to defuse the situation faster than a bomb squad. “These sheets were fresh outta the dryer this morning, and my girlfriends haven’t darkened my doorstep in ages.”

Shawn threw his hands up like, “What am I supposed to do with this?!”

“So what, Evie?” he barked. “You think I’m sneaking some secret lady friend in here while you’re at work? Come on, that’s crazy talk.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Shucks, NO. Not what I was saying! “No, no, not at all! Just…these hairs didn’t materialize out of thin air, you know? Trying to get some logic here,” I reasoned.

But Shawn’s face had gone full on an ice cube tray.

“Alright, you know what?” he sighed. “I see where this is going.” He dug into his pocket and yanked out my spare key like a magician revealing a dove. “Here, take these. I ain’t setting foot back in here until you trust me again.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Before I could sputter out a protest, he stormed out, slamming the door like a dramatic movie exit.

I raced to the hallway, spare keys clutched in my hand, but by the time I reached the elevator doors, Shawn already vanished.

Defeated and totally bummed, I stood there feeling like a kicked puppy.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

This can’t be the end, right? There had to be a reason for the rogue blonde strands, and I wasn’t giving up that easily. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Time to Sherlock Holmes this situation.

“Alright, Operation: Mystery Hair, Phase Two!” I muttered to myself.

Being nice to the building manager, Mr. Hills, finally paid off. A little friendly persuasion later, and I was staring at security footage the guard played, my heart hammering in my chest.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Freepik

For illustration purposes only | Source: Freepik

Every second I expected to see Shawn sneaking in some blonde bombshell. But what I saw next threw me for a loop.

A woman. With long, blonde hair. A MAINTENANCE WORKER, to be exact, casually strolling into my apartment during the day.

Whaaaat? Confused and mind blown, I turned to Mr. Hills and blurted out, “Mr. Hills… who is that?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Mr. Hills peered intently at the footage. “Ah, that’s Vanessa,” he said, finally recognizing the blonde mystery woman. “One of our newer maintenance workers. You did have a scheduled maintenance appointment for your unit today, if I recall correctly.”

My eyes widened like saucers. “Scheduled maintenance? Hold up, no one told me about any maintenance!”

Mr. Hills sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, you’re right there. That’s a total protocol violation. She absolutely should’ve given you a heads-up.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Freepik

For illustration purposes only | Source: Freepik

Livid doesn’t even begin to cover it. Vanessa was about to get a serious earful.

The next day, I practically stalked back to my apartment. And lo and behold, there she was – Vanessa, lingering in the hallway. This time, I wasn’t holding back.

“Hey, lady!” I boomed, channeling my inner drill sergeant. “What in the world were you doing in my apartment yesterday without a word? Scheduled maintenance or not, you can’t just waltz in like you own the place!”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Vanessa’s face drained of color faster than a dropped phone case. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Before I could unleash another verbal missile, she completely broke down, tears flowing freely. Sniffling and wiping her nose, she finally confessed.

“Ms. Hart, I’m so sorry,” she choked out. “They made me do it! Mr. Fraser, my creepy supervisor, he’s running some shady surveillance operation.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

My jaw practically hit the floor. “Surveillance operation? Like, spying on tenants?” I gasped.

Vanessa nodded, wiping away fresh tears. “He made me install hidden cameras and listening devices in people’s apartments! He threatened to fire me if I didn’t do it!”

A cold dread crept down my spine. “Oh my gosh, so he’s been spying on everyone? But for what??” This was snowballing way out of control.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Vanessa’s voice trembled as she confessed, “He uses that information to blackmail tenants and for other creepy stuff. This is messed up!”

Furious doesn’t even cut it. This Mr. Fraser guy needed to be exposed ASAP. “We can’t let him get away with this!” I declared through gritted teeth.

Seeing how scared Vanessa was, I ushered her into my apartment. She was practically vibrating with stress, poor girl. Once inside, she unloaded even more info.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Ms. Hart, I was so desperate,” she whispered. “But I finally have a way out. Been waiting for the perfect moment, and this is it.”

She whipped out her phone, and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.

A video. Mr. Fraser, in all his creepy glory, laying out his illegal surveillance scheme and basically admitting to everything. My jaw practically reached the floorboards.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“And that’s not all!” Vanessa continued. “I kept copies of the logs every single time, every apartment I was forced to bug. Proof I was just following orders from Psycho Pete over there.”

Relief washed over me, mixed with a healthy dose of “let’s take this jerk down” determination. “Vanessa, this is gold! This is exactly what we need to nail him good.”

Then, it hit me. The blonde hair.

“Wait a minute,” I exclaimed, confused. “How did your hair end up in my bed?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Vanessa flushed a bright red, looking like she wanted to crawl under the rug.

“Alright, so during one of these ‘install the hidden camera of doom’ missions,” she stammered, “I heard someone coming and had to hide, like, NOW. Ended up diving into your bedroom, and… well, let’s just say I might have used your bed as a human shield for a hot second. Stress makes my hair fall out like crazy, so…” she trailed off sheepishly.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

This whole thing was straight-up bananas. So, the million-dollar question burning a hole in my mind: “Why didn’t you just take this evidence to the cops or tell Mr. Hills about Psycho Pete in the first place?”

Vanessa let out a defeated sigh. “Mr. Fraser’s a master manipulator,” she explained. “He knows how to play the innocent card like nobody’s business. I kept the evidence hidden, just in case things got hairy.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Yeah, hairy indeed. But you know what? She wasn’t wrong. This whole situation had been stressing her out like crazy, and I could tell it was a huge weight off her shoulders to finally come clean.

“Hey, Vanessa,” I reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You did the right thing. Now, let’s get all this evidence together and march down to the police station. They’ll put a stop to Mr. Fraser’s little spy game, fast.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For the next few hours, it was Operation: Evidence Roundup. Video footage, those creepy logs, and every detail Vanessa could remember about her interactions with Mr. Fraser, we compiled it all.

At the police station that very evening, we laid it all out.

The officers listened intently, expressions growing grimmer by the second with every piece of evidence we presented. An investigation was launched faster than you can say “illegal surveillance.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Let me tell you, the following weeks were wild. Turns out, Mr. Fraser’s operation was way bigger than a two-bit apartment scheme.

There were other employees involved, a whole tangled web of corruption! Thankfully, the evidence Vanessa risked everything to collect helped the authorities unravel the entire mess.

Eventually, Vanessa walked away scot-free. The tenants’ association even nominated me for an award for helping expose this whole thing! Who knew a few strands of stray blonde hair could lead down such a crazy rabbit hole?

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Here’s the thing, though: I totally dropped the ball with Shawn. Jumping to conclusions wasn’t exactly my finest moment.

The stress got the better of me, and hindsight is 20/20, right? Looking back, I wish things could have been different, but hey, you learn from your mistakes.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

But in the end, this whole ordeal gave me a new appreciation for my gut instincts. Sure, I may have been wrong about Shawn, but trusting my instincts enough to see something fishy was going on? Turns out, that was the right call.

Plus, I gained a new friend in Vanessa (seriously, the coolest maintenance worker ever!), earned the trust of my neighbors, and helped shut down a criminal operation. Not a bad haul, right?

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

So yeah, that’s my wild story. A rollercoaster of emotions, a messy breakup (oops!), and enough drama to fill a daytime soap opera.

But hey, at least I can move forward knowing I did the right thing. Now, onto bigger and better things! Maybe even patching things up with Shawn… that is, if he’ll ever take my calls again.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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