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ShareA 10-year-old boy landed in trouble with the British police after an elderly neighbour complained about the noise he made while playing football in his own garden. Cops resorted to an "instant restorative justice session" between the 76-year-old woman and the schoolboy, who was subsequently provided a 26-pound net, the cost of which is to be incurred by the taxpayers.
The approach has evoked serious response from the boy's neighbours in Blackburn, Lancashire, as well as the community leaders, who insist the "solution" to be nothing less than a waste of people's money. "I couldn't believe it had got this far," the Telegraph quoted Maureen Bateson, a Labour councillor who applied for the funding for the net on behalf of cops, as saying.
"I just think it's crazy that children can't play in their own garden. Kids today have lost a lot of play spaces. You can't say to a 10-year-old kid he can't play in his garden," she added. Tory councillor Derek Hardman, who was also present at the meeting when the financial backing was agreed upon, said: "My feeling is this is a waste of resources. Where does it stop? Are we going to get people queuing up asking for things for their gardens so they don't disturb their neighbours? It is ludicrous."
Matthew Elliott, of the TaxPayers' Alliance also said: "This is an absurd waste of time and taxpayers' money. A 10-year-old boy has a right to kick a football in his back garden, and his neighbours have a right to some peace and quiet."
Even the pensioner who lodged the complaint had doubts that the measure would put an end to the trouble.The woman said: "I don't know how this will fix it. It's not nice with the noise and my argument is there is a park just across the road. This should have been sorted a long time ago." Blackburn with Darwen Council, in their defence, said that the move was apt to "quickly resolve" the matter.
