Police order boy, 5, to stop chalking hopscotch 'graffiti' on the street

They ordered Ryan Badland and his five playmates to stop because chalking the grids on the road in their quiet cul-de-sac was "graffiti".

"I couldn't believe it," said Ryan's mother Lisa, 30, at their home in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.

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"They are sensible kids and weren't doing anything wrong. I thought the police would have better things to do.

"There's under-age drinking in the town and a 13-year-old was mugged a couple of weeks ago."

Mrs Badland, a part-time checkout operator, said: "I saw these giant chalks when I was out shopping and bought them for Ryan because he loves drawing on our drive.

"When I got home I gave them to him because it looked likely to rain that evening so whatever he drew would be washed away.

"About an hour later he came rushing in and said, 'Mum, there's some policemen outside.' I thought it was a bit odd because you don't see the police round here very often.

"He said they had got handcuffs and he was frightened they would take him away."

Graham Coogan's children, Nicole, eight, Sian, six, and three-year-old James, were also told off by the two constables.

Mr Coogan, 35, said: "The police told me that my children had been chalking on the street and it could actually be classed as graffiti. They said that they could ask me to clean it off. They also said they were concerned about the children being in the street. But it's a quiet street and the reason we moved here was so the children could play safely."

The road was later washed clean by the rain. Since the incident a fortnight ago the parents have banned their children from using chalk outside.

Avon and Somerset Police said they were responding to a report that up to six children were drawing graffiti on roads and pavements.

The call was logged as alleged criminal damage.

A spokesman said: "Officers attended because anti-social behaviour is a priority. When they got to the scene they realised that it was chalk on the road and therefore no crime had been committed."

The incident follows the case of magistrate's son George Rawlinson, whose home in St Helens, Merseyside, was visited by four police officers after he sent an e-mail to a classmate calling him "gay".