Would you let your 10yo walk home and be home alone for nearly 2 hours on four afternoons a week?

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Ds has asked. He's 10 next month and a friend and his mother walk past our house so he would be walking home with them and then be home alone from about 4pm until 5.45pm when dh gets in.

He knows to lock the door behind him, he knows my mobile no and his dad's off by heart, he wouldn't be allowed to cook (other than toast) and he knows if there's an emergency to climb out of the downstairs window. He also knows not to answer the door or phone unless it's me calling.

I'm a bit torn about this. On the one hand it would be good for him to have some responsibility and he is going to secondary next year when he will probably walk alone, otoh eek. Is it too young? He's not a 'naughty' 10yo, i.e. I do think he'd probably just sit and watch telly, play but what do you all think?

TIA, all views welcome.

In fact I can't think of anyone his age who does that, they all either go to after school club or swap going to eeach other's houses and so on.

Thanks for these other comments.

Atm he goes to breakfast club from 7.30am-8.50am x 4 days a week and then after school club from 3.30-5.45pm x the same 4 days. I've offered to find someone to come here so that he could get dropped by her at 8.50am every morning and have said maybe same person could collect so he was home at 3.30 with them on those 4 days but he's said he doesn't want that, he only wants to be collected if it's me, dh, or ex dh. On Fridays I drop and collect as it's my day off.

I think we'll leave it a while. No, he wouldn't know what to do if the toaster burst into flames.