Children arrested, DNA tested, interrogated and locked up... for playing in a tree

OK, go ahead, flame me for saying so but...I think it is admirable that the police took their duty to protect the public land seriously.

To the 12-year-old friends planning to build themselves a den, the cherry tree seemed an inviting source of material.

But the afternoon adventure turned into a frightening ordeal for Sam Cannon, Amy Higgins and Katy Smith after they climbed into the 20ft tree - then found themselves hauled into a police station and locked in cells for up to two hours.

Their shoes were removed and mugshots, DNA samples and mouth swabs were taken.

Officers told the children they had been seen damaging the tree which is in a wooded area of public land near their homes.

I guess I have to admit that a warning seems sufficient. But, speaking from experience, it isn't easy to keep kids from destroying trees on public land. You can chase them off and they come back the next day. Parents need to teach their children that trees take decades to grow and minutes to destroy. I've been astounded to watch parents actually pull up seedlings from public land in order to clear a track for bike racing by their children.

Link: Children arrested, DNA tested, interrogated and locked up... for playing in a tree | the Daily Mail.