As a former guardian ad litem and Family Court welfare officer, I take issue with your leader (“We must not lose sight of parental rights”, 6 September) on the subject of Ashya King. Last week, the media pilloried those officials who failed to protect vulnerable children in Rotherham. This week, you are criticising officials who did take steps to try to protect a very sick, vulnerable child. While we do not know all the facts, it does seem strange that Ashya’s parents apparently did not seek a second opinion. The fact that Ashya was made a ward of court suggests that those in authority may not have thought it prudent to subject him to a long journey by land and sea. Assistant chief constable Shead said clearly that he would prefer to be able to say that the child was fou