‘We were just rowdy 16-year-olds’: how a police caution blighted a career

Now 31, woman tells of shying away from teaching jobs because of criminal record checks flagging up minor incident

• Thousands locked out of jobs because of mistakes in youth, campaigners say

Natasha* was 16 when she was reported to the police while standing outside a fish and chip shop with a noisy group of friends.

She had never been in trouble before but there was a local ban on teenagers gathering in big groups. She was one of a handful who did not run away in time.