UK: Psychologist claims under-fives are damaged by ‘sleepovers’ with their separated fathers.

Ian Maxwell, of the charity Families Need Fathers, said Ms Leach’s argument was “worrying” for fathers and went against “common sense”. “The bond between fathers and children is just as important.” “The idea [of] maternal bonds being the strongest goes back to classic attachment theory, and I think we’ve moved on quite considerably since then – and also the involvement of fathers in their children’s lives has also developed quite considerably.”

This was a view echoed by Dr Linda Nielsen, writing recently for the American Psychological Association. She said that arguments in favour of mother-only parenting only appealed to people who rely on the outdated argument that “females have a maternal instinct or neurological structures in their brains that better equip them to bond and communicate with infants”.

Ms Leach strongly defended her position last night, arguing that “being a father is not a reward for good behaviour”.

Earlier: Australia: A belief that children under three should not stay overnight with their separated or divorced father has underpinned our family law system for years. Has it all been a mistake?

Also: Paul Raeburn: Do fathers matter? A connection that’s deeper than we realize.