A three-year-old tot is the youngest girl in Britain to be threatened with an ASBO – for PLAYING outside her home.
The parents of 3ft-tall Caidence Leadbitter were stunned when they received a letter from West Midlands Police saying their neighbours had complained about her “intimidating behaviour.”
Caidence, along with her two friends, sisters Isabel Cox, four, and seven-year-old Ellie-Louise, have been accused of trampling plants and trees in Smiths Wood, Solihull, West Mids.
In a letter from PCSO Allan Cameron to Caidence’s mum Kelly, 31, he warned that the local council, who have the power to apply for ASBOs, may “act accordingly”, if there is further damage.
PCSO Cameron, of Solihull Police, wrote: “Reports have been received about a rise in anti-social behaviour.
“It is understood that children like to play outdoors, however this has been observed to extend to minor damage to nearby trees and trampling of plants underfoot.
“This is not an ideal situation and is perceived as slightly intimidating to elderly neighbours to see any large groups of children congregating.
“If any subsequent damage is identified it may well be the case that Solihull Council will be informed and indeed may act accordingly.”
Yesterday Kelly expressed outrage that her daughter, who does not start primary school for another year, had been branded “a yob”.
She said: “Caidence plays outside our home but she’s never caused any trouble. She’s the sweetest little girl you could hope for.
“I can’t believe the police are basically accusing her of being some kind of anti-social yob. It’s madness.”
Ellie-Louise and Isabel’s furious mum Claire Cox, 30, said she was stunned by the letter which she also received.
The shop assistant said: “I’m totally shocked.
“The letter implies they are not being looked after properly and could be given ASBOs.
“But they are not intimidating at all – two of them are aged just three and four.
“The reason I know that the letter is aimed at them is because they are the only children in the area who play in front of the houses.
“There are other older children who live nearby, but they do not play near here. The older ones go to the local park.
“I’m lucky I live in a road where they can safely play outside and I encourage them to play out as much as possible.
“During the school term they go out between 4pm and 5pm and during the holidays they go out at about 11am.
“I don’t want them sat in the house all day watching TV. I would like to know who they can possibly intimidate in the area?
“The letters say they have damaged a bush that runs along the front of all the houses and have trampled on flowers.
“I called up Solihull Council to ask if the bush could be moved or fenced off, so the kids could play without the fear of getting an ASBO.
“They said it was unlikely, but they would submit my request.
“There are a lot of elderly people who live nearby, but there are no problems with most of them.
“In fact, I think they like to hear the sound of children playing outside.”
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said the force takes “anti-social behaviour very seriously because of the negative impact it can have on our communities”.
She added: “We certainly do not want to stop children from enjoying the outdoors particularly during the summer months, however when we get reports of anti-social behaviour from residents we understandably must act.
“In this instance, the local PCSO – who is in daily contact with this community and is aware of concerns raised by some residents – has politely asked parents to be mindful of their children’s behaviour following damage to some trees and plants in the area.”
West Midlands Police said ASBOs could only be issued to children over the age of 10.
Superintendent Kevin Doyle said: “The neighbourhood police letter was a general reminder about anti-social behaviour; it was not aimed at any family in-particular.
“There was no mention of ASBOs in the letter and, legally, we cannot issue the orders to anyone under 10-years-old.
“The youngest person ever handed an anti-social behaviour order in Birmingham is 11-years-old.”
Kelly said the fact her three-year-old daughter had been accused of “anti-social behaviour” amounted to her being threatened with an ASBO.
She fumed: “When you get a letter through your door from the police effectively saying your child has been engaging in anti-social behaviour you think of ASBOs.
“It may be illegal to give children under the age of 10 an ASBO but that doesn’t matter because people will think that my daughter has been threatened with an ASBO as a result of this letter.”
*The youngest tot in Britain to be threatened with an ASBO was two-year-old tearaway Lennon Poyser who was accused of terrorising his neighbours in Lincoln in 2009.
This didn’t happen.
Would walking on grass be considered “trampling plants”? Funny how kids cant even play outside anymore. Now its shut up and go play in your room. No wonder kids have so many issues. Remember when we were kids people. We were told to play outside till sundown. we were spanked if we did wrong and we learned. Oh yea, we grew up just fine. now its all criminal activity instead of talking to parents like the good old days.
Two year olds terrorizing neighbors, three year olds trampling flowers… while playing outside. Give me a brake these are toddlers and I am certain that any damage done was not intentional or serious enough to rise to the level of terrorism.
False, criminal complaints are also illegal in most jurisdictions… those individuals who make such complaints need to be reminded that to make a false claim is also illegal.
seriously?? c’mon. realy?? 3 yrs old? get a life people!
keep better eye on your children. step 1
It is apparent that the Police Officers and the Police Department has nothing better to do than waste the tax payers money. Maybe they need to return the money that they are wasting back to the taxpayers, community service work comes to mind….
britian or germany 1930’s?
It’s a bush a tree and stinking flowers, I step on flowers all the time in my own front yard,come on there three and four and seven years old, ok seven is old enoguth to know you don’t stomp on the flowers, but three and four don’t know any better, and it’s a bush come on.
sounds like a place I would like to live,worst you have to worry about is a THREE YEAR OLD WALKING ON SOME PLANTS.On second thought the POLICE have nothing better to do than that,HMM maybe I wouldn’t want to live there.Cops don’t carry guns but those billy clubs can be hell on your head.Let’s hope the three year old little trouble maker does not meet them big bad cops.
It sickens me to read stuff like this. To think the police have nothing better to do than to treat children as if they were criminals. How far have we gone from the God who died for their sins? God have mercy on them and those that think like them, our so call leaders. What s disgrace…
And So, Why wasn’t her Mum sitting outside on the front porch watching these children play???
You know, if Damien Thorne’s neighbors had called the police instead of turning a blind eye, the Prince of Darkness might have been thwarted much sooner.
I think that a smart bottom in place of a citation would work better.
How is children playing outside anti-social behavior? What is anti-social about it exactly? And why does the city care so much about it?
My seven year old granddaughter thinks that Caidence and her friends should have a punishment for all they did to the neighbor’s backyard.
You’ve have to be f***ing kidding me people, get real! The kids are kids, not to mention not even old enough to write their names. Cant you find something better to do, like find real criminals. Is this truly what are world has come to? Get real!!!
Well, maybee the parents should be watching there children. Yes, I grew up in the 60’s and seventies when we freely played outside and the chance of being taken or hit by a car was very slim, but the world is soooo different now. Why are 2 and 3 year olds even outside unsupervised??? You know the same parents who say they want their children outside will be the first to want the worlds sympathy when their kids are stolen away. Just very LAZY PARENTING these days. IF YOU CAN’T WATCH YOUR KIDS… DON’T HAVE THEM!!!
Hows this for anti-social?………kiss my un-politically correct a$$, West Midlands Pigs. Go peddle your evil N.W.O. crap elsewhere (in Hell). Have a nice day 🙂
“I can’t believe the police are basically accusing her of being some kind of anti-social yob. It’s madness.”
Yes Mom it is madness….
KILLUMINATI!
Leave it to the Brits to blow things out of proportion, snoot, snoot! Then they are having parades for the most over paid welfare recipients in the world having a baby.
who ever complained about youn kids playing outside are guilty of anti social behavior. They must know that there was a time in there own lives that they played outside. The police department that took the complaints are negligent for not tell the people complaining that they are infringing on the rights of the family of these kids and that any future complaints and attempts to take away the freedoms of the families involved will lead to legal action.
I wish I lived in a community where THIS was the biggest concern of the local police.
Whatta a paradise.
God Bless England, Our 3 years olds use AK-47’s.
You obviously are mad in UK !!!
Caidence? Like, who calls their kid Caidence?
Oy! Ky-dence! C’meah!
Sounds like a name that would ring katie Hopkins’s alarm bell.
I DID NOT SEE ONCE A PARENT GO SEE THE MOTHER HERE .GUTLESS WONDERS HAD TO GET ABIG BRAVE POLICEMAN TO DEAL WITH THE LITTLE CHILDREN PERFETIC
She not the youngest in Britain there was a 2 year old bk in 2009 and the police in the letter never mentioned anything about an asbo and it was posted to every household not just the kids in question