THE item, ‘Children behind toilet arson attack’ (Daily Echo, March 10), is yet another sign of how society is falling apart, largely down to the ‘progressive' attitudes’ to discipline and child-raising foisted on us by loony, lefty, liberal child psychologists and educators over the past few decades.

Many youngsters have lost all respect for the law, teachers, parents and anyone else in authority because they know that all they are likely to receive by way of punishment for wrongdoing is a slap on the wrist or a caution..

And things are unlikely to improve until the courts start handing out punishment appropriate to the crime, and teachers are once again permitted to discipline children without fear of being taken to court by parents, who themselves, have little respect for authority and little idea of how to raise children.

The children responsible for the arson attack on that public toilet are believed to be 12-year-olds. They are totally aware that what they did is wrong, yet if Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg gets his way, the age of criminal responsibility will be raised from 10 to 16!

How barmy is that?

ROBERT READMAN, Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth