Gordon Brown sorry for UK's 'shameful' child migration to the colonies

GORDON Brown yesterday expressed Britain's "shame" for sending tens of thousands of poor children to former colonies where many suffered terrible abuse.

The Prime Minister apologised for the "cruelty" of the programme, which saw about 150,000 children aged as young as three separated from their parents and shipped off overseas for what was supposed to be a "better life", with many being told their parents were dead when in fact they were still alive.

He also announced the creation of a 6 million fund to help restore families torn apart by the scheme, which ran in various forms from the 1920s to the 1960s.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Brown said: "To all those former child migrants and their families; to those here with us today and those across the world – to each and every one – I say today we are truly sorry. They were let down."