Police swoop on young sisters who picked daffodils in the park

Uniformed officers in squad car dispatched to confront family in Dorset after tip-off about actions of girls aged four and six
Steven Morris
The Guardian
Mar. 16, 2011

Police rushed a pair of officers in a marked car to a park after two young sisters were spotted picking daffodils.

Sienna Marengo, four, was seen picking flowers with six-year-old stepsister Olivia in Poole, Dorset.

A member of the public reported them to police and two constables attended and advised the girls' mother, Jane Errington, that she and her partner, Marc Marengo, could be arrested for criminal damage. [...]

Errington said the officers watched the family for 20 minutes before speaking to them. She said Sienna had been left too upset to return to the public park, fearing being "taken away by the police". [...]

"The little ones were really upset and started crying. It was quite frightening for them. They did have daffodils in their hands – I'd say about 20 between them – and they had been picking them up and sorting them out like children do. [...]

"If we'd seen it, we would have stopped them, but all it needed was for whoever complained to have approached us and made us aware.

"I had to explain to them that the police are friendly and it was just a mistake. I explained to them that the flowers were there for everybody and that in the future we will leave them there.

"I just felt it was unnecessary and upsetting. Surely the police have better ways to spend their time and taxpayers' money?"

Whitecliff Park is owned by the council and therefore removing property from it is an offence.

Read More

Image source: Maciej Lewandowski