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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I confiscated a random kids laser pen, but I don’t know who his parents are.

53 replies

Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 13:46

The local kids on our road are becoming a nuisance. For example, shining laser pens through our windows, knocking on our door at half ten at night and running away, etc. I don’t know which house they belong to, it’s two boys upper side of primary school age. We’ve previously been out to ask them to stop and they always apologise and say it won’t happen again, so last night when they got me in the eye with their stupid laser I was pretty angry. I marched out with my torch and basically demanded they give it to me or I’d follow them home and speak to their parents, I said their parents can come by and collect it in the morning. So now I’ve got their laser pen (303 green light and very powerful) but no sign of their parents so far. Not really sure what to do now.

OP posts:
CatOnTheChair · 10/04/2023 15:44

Do you have any community PCSO's?
When we had a kid jump kicking our front door a couple of times a week, DH got a photo, and contacted the community policing unit.
They got an ID from the local school, and knocked on his door. He turned up a few days later full of appologies with a very cross parent (parent cross with child, not us).
I was very impressed. Worth a go.

BunnyRabbitSandwich · 10/04/2023 15:58

I agree with the idea of binning it. I got so fed up with the kids next door (in our old house) because they kept kicking footballs in our garden. They’d leave them there for weeks on end too! In the end, they went straight in the rubbish bin.

Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 17:39

So the boys just came over and said their dad is ‘busy working, but said to come over and ask for it back’. It was my husband who answered the door as I’m out walking the dog. My husband, not wanting anything to do with it, said come back and speak to my wife. I am shocked at their actions audacity. Husband did ask if they were making this up and they said we could go over a speak to their dad.

OP posts:
Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 17:40

I don’t want to go over, their parents can come over and speak to me.

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 10/04/2023 17:49

Don't give it to them! They could hurt another child or an animal very badly.

Augend23 · 10/04/2023 18:03

Has it got enough information on it that you can establish whether or not it's legal?

Because ultimately, while I agree entirely with what you've done, and said so up thread, unless it is illegal, won't you have to give it back?

It's got to be that or contacting community policing/dropping it off at the police station to be collected at their convenience. But again, if it's not illegal, what you have is someone else's property. So I don't even know how the police would react if you gave it to them, though there are some knowledgeable police officers on Mumsnet who may have a better idea than me.

Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 18:39

Augend23 · 10/04/2023 18:03

Has it got enough information on it that you can establish whether or not it's legal?

Because ultimately, while I agree entirely with what you've done, and said so up thread, unless it is illegal, won't you have to give it back?

It's got to be that or contacting community policing/dropping it off at the police station to be collected at their convenience. But again, if it's not illegal, what you have is someone else's property. So I don't even know how the police would react if you gave it to them, though there are some knowledgeable police officers on Mumsnet who may have a better idea than me.

I have phoned 101 and reported it. It’s a safe guarding issue too as they are young kids outside on an unlit rural road on a Saturday night with no adults about. We are also literally right next to a motorway.. so if they are shining it through my window then they could shine it into a moving car or lorry. The police are going to visit in the next few days so I will give the laser pen to them. The kids did come back and I’ve told them that they can ask the police for it back! I also got their address to hand over to police but I am not going to attempt to speak to the parents. It’s in the police’s hand now.

OP posts:
Boogismyname · 10/04/2023 18:45

You did exactly the right thing, OP.

Boogismyname · 10/04/2023 18:46

What was the kid's reaction?

WhatNextNowForDS · 10/04/2023 18:54

I was gonna say the kids wont tell their parents. Like when we catch them shoplifting and they say oh I bought that at [another shop that sells the same items as us] but don't have a receipt. On the basis that it's probably nicked either from other shop or us, we take it. If they can prove they bought it then their parents are free to collect. They never do [shrug]

ohfook · 10/04/2023 18:57

Reminds me of the time a neighbour was having problems with a couple of kids on our street a similar age.

Eventually she snapped and gave them an absolute bollocking. She sat and waited for kids parents to come round and they did - to make the kids all apologise. Apparently they'd all gone home to tell about this horrible woman who shouted at them and unfortunately for the kids, the parents wanted to know what had caused someone sitting in their own house to randomly tell them off.

TomeTome · 10/04/2023 18:59

Well done @Staffielove23

TwoThousandZeroZeroPartyOverOopsFoundMoreTime · 10/04/2023 19:15

www.theukrules.co.uk/rules/legal/police/faq/weapons/laser-pens.html

Xrays · 10/04/2023 19:54

Well done op. You’re brave 😁

Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 20:23

Xrays · 10/04/2023 19:54

Well done op. You’re brave 😁

How am I brave?

OP posts:
Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 20:27

Police have been round. Impressive seeing how I phoned them at 6pm. Obviously not much crime happening around here tonight.. lol. I explained everything, gave them the laser and the ring doorbell footage of them knocking at 10.30pm. They are going to speak to the parents and kids and explain it’s not appropriate or safe behaviour and basically tell them to leave us alone. Fingers crossed we get no more disturbances.

OP posts:
VyeBrator · 10/04/2023 20:32

Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 20:23

How am I brave?

Show quote history

Because this is Mumsnet.

Many posters can't even answer the door unless they're expecting someone, and are unable to phone their friends and family, even if they're not answering texts.

So taking a lazer pen off some children is akin to getting a lion in a headlock at the zoo 😁

Well done OP. Let's hope this is the end of it now.

Augend23 · 10/04/2023 20:34

Excellent! I'm really glad they were able to help OP, sounds like hopefully a very sensible solution.

Xrays · 10/04/2023 20:42

Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 20:23

How am I brave?

Show quote history

If you did this where we used to live in South London you’d have a gang including the big brothers / dads etc whoever else all threatening to attack you over it. It really was that scary. (That’s why we left - disclaimer I’m not saying all of London is like that, just the bit we lived in)!

Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 20:52

Xrays · 10/04/2023 20:42

If you did this where we used to live in South London you’d have a gang including the big brothers / dads etc whoever else all threatening to attack you over it. It really was that scary. (That’s why we left - disclaimer I’m not saying all of London is like that, just the bit we lived in)!

Show quote history

I live in a rural hamlet so thankfully don’t have that problem. Sounds horrific, I could never live in a place like that. glad you got out.

OP posts:
Original poster
Staffielove23 · 10/04/2023 21:39

I could have attempted to find the parents, probably wouldn’t have been that hard, but I don’t see that conversation going well.. based on the fact they allow their children out on unlit rural roads late at night, and think a grade four laser pen is an acceptable toy when we live so close to the motorway, I’m going to assume our parenting styles are very different. Best handed by the police imo.

OP posts:
Murdoch1949 · 11/04/2023 05:27

You did totally the correct thing. Had you gone over to the parents you could have been confronted by an unreasonable response. Their parenting skills are dubious as the children were out & about late at night. Glad the police responded promptly and hopefully effectively.

Staffielove23 · 11/04/2023 15:50

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Original poster
Staffielove23 · 11/04/2023 15:51

Whoops. Ignore the above. Posted in wrong place

OP posts:
EscapeRoomToTheSun · 11/04/2023 15:53

Ah it was such a good point tho 😂