About this child?

[Lovemyshoes]

For the last few weeks a boy from a neighbouring street (10years) has been coming on our street to play with the children. But, all he seems to do is cause mayhem.

My dc and other dc are playing happily and within a short while of him being here they are fighing and arguing in lumps, he keeps calling people names etc and then calling parents names.

He ruins everything, the other week he came in our garden when I went out I found he had used 2 full boxes of chalk and drawn over EVERYTHING in the garden, walls, decking, plant pots and patio furniture. Then I noticed in the bottom part of the garden he had been leaning over the wall and pulling a neighbours plants off.

Fast forward to now, and, he has been in a neighbours garden and broken toys, and he recently smashed two windows in a shed and when questioned, blamed it on my eldest dc (10), but, I know it wasn't her as we were all out all day, when he realised he had been caught out he just laughed.

He looks through peoples window grinning inanely whilst destroying things, yesterday he did this to a new family who have just moved in and has completely wrecked a fern tree and rose bushes.

One of the neighbours is going to have a word with his mother, but, we feel we will get nowhere as she always says 'It can be my XXXX as he would NEVER do things like that', but, he is never at home, he is out of the house about 7 in the morning hanging round school till it opens and on a night he walks a dog on isolated fields till it is dark.

If you read this, thank you, but I'm at a loss what to do

police?

Well for starters throw him out of your gardens. It might be a good idea for all of the neighbours invovled to go round, if his mum does the "Oh it can't be him", I'd mention the police.

Take photos of him doing it and show them to his mum. Phone the police. I'm sick to death of the softly softly approach we've been pushed into taking. This boy is a yob-in-the-making. We need to start taking back our communities.

I have thought about the police, but, I didn't know whether they would do anything with it being a 10 yr old boy.

Also, this might be me being dim, but, isn't illegal to take photos of other peoples children in any circumstances?

I got the police on a boy in my street who thought it was a good idea to kick my gate to pieces. His parents are the same, 'oh it couldn't be him', he was younger than 10.

I think the police may have to be next port of callif he causes any more damage, I have banned my 2 from playing with him and a neighbour has done the same.

Hopefully if he is on his own he may get fed up and go home.

If you go to the police they will start to watch out for him and also contact his Mum if they think there are problems. PCSO's are there for this reason.

Otherwise, do you know of his school or any child/youth work he's involved with? Might be worth mentioning to them that you're worried. Ignoring what he's doing to your property, he's obviously a very unhappy lad. I've done youth work with children like this and there are people out there who he could talk to and (importantly) make him think someone is on his side.

To my mind, he wouldn't do this without a reason and to go and play with children he doesn't really know (and not be concerned about upsetting their parents), means his homelife is horrible and that's his escape. Even if you just talk to him and ask him if he's okay, I bet he'll be nicer.

Sorry if this sounds a bit 'airey fairy' but I spend a lot of time with youngsters slightly older than him that just need a little understanding and attention. If they'd had that, they wouldn't get the ASBO's. I do realise that if you're the 'victim' it doesn't make it less frustrating though.