How naughty, Mr Editor! Quite right Mrs Eldridge of Barnehurst should be upset her poor little boy has been singled out for merely "drawing on buses" (Letters, July 3). After all, he didn't know it was "criminal damage".

By the way, her son must be very advanced to be drawing at an age when he doesn't know right from wrong i.e., under two.

Mrs Eldridge is obviously right up there with the growing number of parents who see no problem with their offspring spitting, urinating, swearing, fighting and threatening all those outside their peer group.

Unfortunately, Mrs Eldridge neglected to give her house number so everyone who thinks like her can have their teenage darlings tear up her garden, smash her windows and scratch or draw on the family car, with no other effect than a little cost to the taxpayer and fear in the more vulnerable among us.

Chin up, Mrs Eldridge. The "upset" to your family is a reflection on the rest of us and we are sorry to have dared shop your little angel.

I used to work in the community, clearing up after the crime and dealing with the victims.

I list some of the quotes from parents of youths who literally destroyed the victims and their families:

"It can't have been my son he's such a good boy ..."

"What a lot of fuss over a bit of old jewellery ..."

"She has always been a drama queen it was only a few stitches ..."

"Well, she was asking for it, wasn't she?"

"These pensioners are afraid of their own shadow ..."

Mrs Eldridge can use them when her boy graduates to bigger and better misunderstandings.

Frankly, the only apologies needed are Mrs Eldridge's to this community but that is unlikely since she doesn't even apparently feel the decency or shame most of us would in her position. Well done, News Shopper, for shopping the yobs.

Name and address

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July 17, 2002 16:00