THE daffodil farrago just will not go away. Although some people appear to think that it was all harmless innocent fun, has anyone realised that the kids took something that did not belong to them?

In most books this is called stealing. Children are not born purely honest and well behaved, they need the correcting guidance of a nearby adult to point out that some actions are not acceptable.

I can’t help wondering if the public attitude would be different if the kids concerned were teenagers with no guiding adult on hand.

Then the dear little kiddywinkies would be called teenage vandals.

Perhaps the presence of the police was a bit over the top when all that was required was a sharp voice command or failing that, then a hand applied to the bottom.

Oh, sorry, unfortunately that isn’t allowed any more. We have to train our offspring without any physical coercion, but perhaps by telepathy.

The kids may have innocently gathered a bunch of daffodils, but if other like-minded, unrestrained children also descended upon the park, it would soon be denuded of daffodils.

DAVID HAWKES, Muscliffe