Police swoop on children's hopscotch game

[GazeboflossUK]

From the sublime to the ridiculous......

Check this out!!

 

Police Swoop On Children's Hopscotch Game

 

When Lisa Badland gave her five-year-old son Ryan some coloured chalks to mark out a hopscotch court outside her home, she expected him to have an afternoon of innocent fun.

 

Little did she imagine that he would end up in trouble with the police.

 

Yet that is what happened when two policemen, acting on a tip-off from a neighbour, arrived in a quiet cul-de-sac, lined up Ryan and five young friends and told them off for drawing "graffiti".

 

Remarkably, when the children's parents emerged from their homes to find out what was going on, the constables instructed them not to let their children play in the street or draw on the road or pavement. One mother said that she was also advised that one child was not dressed warmly enough.

 

Yesterday, the parents accused officers of over-reacting and frightening their children. Critics said the case was an example of police taking on "soft targets" while failing to tackle serious crimes. The incident took place on a housing estate in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, favoured by families because its peaceful streets are safe for children to play in.

advertisement

 

Mrs Badland, 30, a part-time checkout operator, said she had given Ryan the chalks because it looked likely to rain later that evening, washing away whatever he drew.

 

She recalled: "An hour later, my son came in saying, 'Mum, there's some policemen outside'. I went out and the officer said they'd had a complaint about the chalk on the road.

 

"He said it was graffiti and they're not allowed to do it on the road. My son was petrified because they had handcuffs; he asked if they were going to take him away.

 

"The kids just went out to play. They are sensible kids and weren't doing anything wrong. I thought the police would have better things to do. There's under-age drinking in the town, and a 13-year-old was mugged a couple of weeks ago."

 

The road was later washed clean by rain. Since the incident late last month the children - aged between three and 11 - have been banned by their parents from using chalk outside. Graham Coogan, 35, said his three children, Nicole, eight, Sian, six, and James, three, were all told off by the two officers.

 

"The police told me that my children had been chalking on the street, and it could actually be classed as graffiti," he said. "They said that they could ask me to clean it off.

 

"They also said they were concerned about the children being in the street. But it's a quiet street, and the reason we moved here was so the children could play out safely. The officers weren't unpleasant, and I didn't want to be confrontational, so I just went along with it."

 

Avon and Somerset Police said that it had received a report that up to six children aged around 14 were drawing graffiti on roads and pavements. The call was logged as alleged criminal damage.

 

A spokesman said: "Officers attended because anti-social behaviour is a priority. When they got to the scene, they realised that it was chalk on the road and therefore no crime had been committed. Officers spoke to the children and everyone went on their way. People have got to understand that what they are doing might be construed in a different way by other people. What one person might see as harmless fun, another person has reported as graffiti. We are under a duty of care to go and investigate."

 

Children aged under 10 are below the age of criminal responsibility and cannot be charged with any offence. The offence of criminal damage refers only to permanent markings or breakages so does not cover chalk, which washes off in the rain.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/08/nplay0 8.xml

[busybeeburns]

:lol:

[Texasluvsjonny]

Good for those coppers. I mean today its chalk on the street , next thing you know they're cracking grans over the head for biscuit money. Bloody yoof! The UK needs to get their 5 year olds under control! :rolleyes:

[TraceOddity]

^ :lol:

 

I can see how a neighbout might misconstrue it...5 year olds look just like 14 year olds,lol.:P For God's sake, I'm visually impaired and I can tell the difference!!

 

The FBI's early warning signs of a sociopathic personality include fire-starting, torture of small animals, fighting and chalk hopscotch games washable by rain on the sidewalk...it's pure textbook Manson!!!:lol: :lol: :lol:

[RICK8]

They are wasting their time while real crimes go unpunished!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Space Cadet]

:shocked2: Pardon the language, but WTF?

 

Chalk scribbles everywhere on the road are one of my favorite things about suburbia... they make it feel like people belong there.

 

*sigh*

[StarsKay]

Remarkably, when the children's parents emerged from their homes to find out what was going on, the constables instructed them not to let their children play in the street or draw on the road or pavement. One mother said that she was also advised that one child was not dressed warmly enough.

 

if they wanna see grafitti they should visit australian city train lines, then they could arrest the whole neighbourhood :lol: we're talking chalk, shesh!

 

the last bit ^ that's ridiculous lol

[Black Rose]

They are wasting their time while real crimes go unpunished!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yep.

 

At least they won't sitting in their car with a radar gun catching old grannies doing 36 mph in a 30 zone.

[GazeboflossUK]

You guys are complaining that the governments police service aren't doing their jobs properly?.......you must be with Al-Qaeda!!

 

/sarc.

 

:p

[RICK8]

You guys are complaining that the governments police service aren't doing their jobs properly?.......you must be with Al-Qaeda!!

 

/sarc.

 

:p

 

 

 

Hahaha i think it is a worldwide problem...over here Police are accepting bribes to ignore certain crimes..sounds almost like a mafia..rather worrying if you ask me..the whole police force is corrupt!!

 

 

 

:uhoh: Can i say that?

[Black Rose]

Hahaha i think it is a worldwide problem...over here Police are accepting bribes to ignore certain crimes..sounds almost like a mafia..rather worrying if you ask me..the whole police force is corrupt!!

 

 

 

:uhoh: Can i say that?

 

And that's the last we heard from Rick, who disappeared on the night of the 11th April. Some might say he was kidnapped and murdered by the local police force before blowing the whistle, where some might say his internet connection was eaten by a sheep ;)

[RICK8]

And that's the last we heard from Rick, who disappeared on the night of the 11th April. Some might say he was kidnapped and murdered by the local police force before blowing the whistle, where some might say his internet connection was eaten by a sheep ;)

 

 

 

No still here..sorry to disappoint Davy.