The law does not specify an age at which parents can leave children alone, but those who do can be arrested and prosecuted for cruelty and neglect if it places them at risk.
The government claims that the judgment as to whether it is right to leave a child home alone is made by the parents. However, in fact the judgment is made by the police and local council workers.
Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet, said the question of when a child is old enough to be left at home alone comes up “time and again” on the parenting website.
She said: "Every time it’s raised, the consensus is that it really comes down to the individual child.
“Some parents would happily leave their responsible eight-year-old on the sofa for 10 minutes while they pop to the corner shop, others would baulk at leaving a more absent-minded 12-year-old home alone under any circumstances.”
Chris Cloke, head of child protection awareness at the NSPCC, said: "Although there’s no legal minimum age for leaving children at home alone, no-one should leave a child unattended if they think they’ll be at risk.
"And it’s never acceptable to leave babies and very young children on their own for any length of time.
"Children mature at different rates so it’s vital we have a common sense approach that ensures flexibility for parents, as they are best-placed to know what is right for their child.
"Ideally, parents should check that their children are happy and confident to be left at home alone and know what to do in an emergency. "