Road, Stoke-on-Trent, but later spread to other such homes in the county. Children were regularly deprived of their clothing and footwear, being required to wear either pyjamas or just their underwear. They were locked in rooms called "pindown rooms", sometimes for periods of weeks or months, similar to a lockdown in prisons. The children were kept in solitary confinement with little furniture (and sometimes no bedding), no conversation and repetitive occupations. On occasion, they were required to perform physical exercise outdoors in their underwear and were subjected to corporal punishment; sometimes they were also deprived of food, water or lavatory paper, not allowed to go to the lavatory at all, or were doused in cold water. Log books for the institutions simply recorded such treatment as "loss of privileges". The Pindown schedule included "Rise and bath" at 0700hrs then "Bed and lights out" at 1900hrs (after another bath at 1800hrs). An internal document from one home notes (in block capitals) that, amongst other rules: Between 1983 and 1989, at least 132 children, aged nine and upwards, experienced what came to be called pindown. Duration of individual punishments varied in length but, in one instance, lasted 84 continuous days - longer than the subsequent public inquiry. It was punishment for such activities as running away from the home, truanting from school, petty theft, bullying and threats of violence. Public inquiry The Pindown Inquiry (held in 1990–1991) was chaired by Allan Levy QC LLB (a noted children's advocate) and Barbara Kahan OBE MA (Cantab) (chair of the National Children's Bureau). Evidence The inquiry lasted 75 days, taking oral evidence from 70 witnesses including: Mark Fisher, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent 7 members of the county council 5 senior officers of the county council, including the chief executive 42 members of staff of the social services department and 8 former members of staff 15 individuals and representatives of organisations such as the BASW and the MSC It received written submissions from a further 26 witnesses. There were also 57 witnesses who gave evidence anonymously, including children, their parents and others who asked not to be named. The inquiry examined approximately 150,000 pages of documents including: 400 log books from children’s homes personnel files committee papers financial records minutes staff meeting minutes 21 legal references, including the Bill of Rights 1689 and the children's legislation from as early as 1933 and as late as 1989