A four-year-old girl was reportedly left in tears after police threatened to confiscate her bicycle because she was riding on the pavement.
Little Sophie Lindley was cycling along with her dad beside a main road, with her helmet and stabilisers on, when a patrol car pulled up beside them.
A uniformed officer proceeded to get out of the vehicle and threaten to confiscate her bike if she continued to ride it along the path. The officer also sat idly by and watched as a crying Sophie and her father, Dale, struggled to get the bike up the steep hill to her school.
Ex-serviceman Dale spoke of his shock over the incident, telling local media: “I was gobsmacked when the officer pulled over and threatened to confiscate Sophie’s bike. He said to me, ‘She can’t be riding on a pavement, it’s breaking the law.’”
When Dale questioned the officer over his harsh approach, he didn’t get any satisfaction, either.
“He just shrugged and said, ‘Look, she must get off the bike and walk and I’m going to sit here and make sure you don’t put her back on it. If you do, I’ll confiscate the bike,’” Dale added.
Sophie’s mum went on to contact the authorities over the incident, and received contrasting opinions.
“One police officer I spoke to said the law applied to everyone – no one can ride a bike on the pavement. But another said it shouldn’t have happened, as it’s different for children,” said Emma.
Since the story broke, a spokesperson has issued the following statement: “Safety is our priority and cycling on the pavement is illegal. However, common sense obviously prevails, and in the case of young children, officers would use their discretion and offer the most appropriate advice for the circumstances.”
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