TOY GUNS

I have no problem with police arresting and throwing in clink people, including teenagers, who threaten people with imitation firearms in circumstances where the weapon could be taken to be real. But if it's black and orange plastic wielded outside his home by an 8-year-old it's probably better to call it a toy gun — unless gunmakers are now switching to orange as a fashion statement. Which didn't stop an officer of the Wiltshire force from ordering Samuel England (age 8) to smash his toy or be arrested. In the end that fate was averted when his stepfather smashed the toy for him. But the copper left only for 5 minutes before returning to order Samuel's 6-year-old sister Sophie not to ride her barbie car on the pavement. I blame the parents — why can't they send the children up to their bedroom to surf the internet like every other self-respecting child? Of course if the officer had for one second suspected the toy could be the real thing he would have hidden behind a hedge a mile away whilst he called in bomber command for backup. And if youngsters still play with "action man" dolls I trust the range doesn't include a copper as many of the men in blue don't qualify for such a title.