Oh I've got a good 1 that happened to my boy a couple of months ago.
Heading out to take him rugby training just now.
I'll post up later
Ok. Here goes.
A couple of months ago I arrived at work, 15 mins later I get a call from a withheld/unknown number. I always hang up on these.
2 mins later my mate (2 doors down from us) calls, say the police are just off the phone to him and that I should answer the call.
So I answered the next call after 2 mins of waiting. To which I was asked where I was straight off the bat. Obviously I asked who it was first before continuing the call.
' Just to ask where you are Mr 'CB'. Erm I'm at my work, why?
Oh we have reports of someone with a long barreled rifle near your home.
Obviously a bit taken aback I let them know where I was and any other details they needed.
When he then went onto describe the armed person the penny dropped.
My boy and his friends are proper kids and rarely in, they love nothing more than making dens/hides in the park and trees. Sometimes they put on their army suits and play soldiers, as all boys should do.
I asked the caller to give me 2 mins till I checked my ring camera, and sure enough there the boys were in all they're glory. Toy guns (big orange colours on them and all) and fully kitted up in army suits. Boys being boys
I explained that it was my son and that I could see him on the camera when he went out.
They then asked who was home and that they would be sending someone round.
Fair enough. Didn't think much of it. So called the wife to let her know, and not to let them try and dissuade him from doing it again as he's only out playing.
25 mins later the wife called to say that they had been.
Here's the 'BIG' but!!!
They had already had a helicopter out, which the boys were waving at thinking it was all fun.
The worst part was that although my son had come home his 2.other friends (1 his cousin) had continued to play, until 3 cars piled into the street and put bolted a gang of armed 'terrorists' as his cousins thought anyway and they ran away screaming (his cousin has autism which really didn't help things).
Turned out an old busy body woman. Had decided to call the police and give them some sort of story knowing full well it was the kids playing.
She had already tried to hunt them away from playing in the park and saying that she would report them.
That and she actually took a picture of the boys, (the visiting police to my house showed my wife the picture) so again very obviously knew it was kids playing.
But she must having given the police on the phone a very hyped up story to get the response that they employed.
What an absolute waste of police sources and money. For boys out playing as boys should be.
My boy and the other boys in the street are proper kids and are very rarely in the house playing games consoles. Surely that's what we should be trying to encourage our kids.
Our boys took a bit of a hit and were a bit apprehensive to go out the next day. We explained that they did absolutely nothing wrong and do exactly as you were.
People just forget they were once young, and it's a disgrace to try and stop kids playing.
The boys were between the ages of 8 and 11
