OXFORD author Philip Pullman has welcomed news that writers are to be excluded from the plans to impose criminal record bureau (CRB) checks on any adults in contact with children.

However, Mr Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, said the regulations remained “fundamentally unhealthy”.

He had led a campaign against the new rules, which required writers who give talks in schools to register for vetting.

The Vetting and Barring Scheme was expected to include about 11 million people working with children, but now only those working with the same children once a week, rather than once a month, will be included.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls denied making a U-turn on the proposals, adding there had been a “ludicrous over-reaction” to the proposals from some schools and organisations.