Remove children from criminal families at birth to save them from crime, says top judge Alan Goldsack QC said drastic action needed as crime runs in families Recorder of Sheffield said taking children away could save thousands Judge says he sees grandchildren of criminals he prosecuted in court Concerns: Judge Alan Goldsack claimed the children of hardened criminals should be adopted at birth The children of hardened criminals should be adopted at birth to save them from a life of crime, a top judge has claimed. Alan Goldsack QC, the Recorder of Sheffield, said drastic action was sometimes needed "because crime runs in families" and that it was "frightening" he is now seeing in his courtroom the grandchildren of criminals he prosecuted or defended 40 years ago. Instead, the children of prostitutes, drug addicts or wife-beaters should be taken away earlier, to prevent them from languishing in the care system and turning to a life of crime. However, last night he was accused of "criminalising babies" and failing to address why people become criminals. In an interview to mark his retirement after a 43-year career, Judge Goldsack said: "Some become criminals because they enjoy crime and think it's a good way of life. If they don't get caught, they can have a good lifestyle. But a frightening thing is the number of people I see who are the grandchildren of those I prosecuted and defended 40 years ago - because crime runs in families in the same way that being a doctor, teacher or lawyer does. We have to . . . remove young babies from the families that are going to produce the next generation of criminals. It's not uncommon for a dysfunctional family to have £250,000 spent on them. But if we got in early and removed children we could save thousands. Judge Goldsack, who has gained a reputation for his hardline approach, also told the Sheffield Star newspaper that "a huge proportion of prisoners were a product of the care system." "Family is all important if you want to prevent people becoming criminals - a stable family life prevents most people from becoming criminals," he added. The care system is not working as well as it should be by a long chalk. If you leave a child until they are nine or 10, you can't do much for them at all. Critical: Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of the charity Kids Company, said taking children from criminal families was not the right solution But Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh said: "This protest is directed at the wrong corner of this problem. If you look at the baby in their cot, they are not a criminal. Taking babies from parents because they happen to be in criminal families is not the right solution. We need to address the way that we work with disturbed families and children. Alison Worsley, of Barnardo's, said the children of prisoners were often "highly vulnerable." "The Government needs to offer more support targeted at the specific needs of these children and bring a positive change to their lives," she added.