Two young girls picking daffodils in Whitecliff Park in Poole, Dorset were reported to the police by a passerby.
Four-year-old Sienna, and six-year-old Olivia were enjoying themselves in the park when the police approached them.
The mother of the two children Jane Errington, explained the alleged events: “We were out in the park for two or three hours enjoying the sunshine. The little ones had been riding their bikes, but after a while they got bored and went to play in the daffodils”.
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Miss Errington said she hadn’t seen the children pick any flowers as she had been rollerblading with her 10-year old daughter India at the time.
“I was with India roller-blading so I didn’t see them pick any flowers, but the next thing we knew a police patrol car pulled up.”
“They said ‘we have been really nice and let you off, but if you don’t leave it we will have to arrest you for theft.’”
According to Miss Errington her children were “really upset and started crying”.
“It was quite frightening for them,” she added.
The man who reported the family, Peter Adams – the Conservative councillor on Poole council, defended his actions saying: “We are very proud of our parks and can’t have people ripping up public property.
He said the children had taken upto 80 flowers and called their actions “disgraceful”.
“I am a reasonable person and would not have called the police if they were just picking two or three flowers, but this was totally disgraceful,” Adams said.
Miss Errington, however, did not agree with Mr Adams decision to call in the police, saying: “They did have daffodils – I’d say about 20 between them – and they had
been picking them up.
“If we’d seen it we would have stopped them, but
all it needed was for whoever complained to have approached us.”
“I felt it was unnecessary and upsetting. Surely the police have better ways to spend their time and taxpayers’ money?” she said.
