Joanne Jarvis - I’m hopping mad

STOP press. I was reading through the newspapers last week and was shocked to see that the traditional playground game of hopscotch has been banned. Yes, banned. I couldn t believe it. Police, it seems, say chalking the grids on the pavement is a low-lev

STOP press. I was reading through the newspapers last week and was shocked to see that the traditional playground game of hopscotch has been banned.

Yes, banned.

I couldn't believe it.

Police, it seems, say chalking the grids on the pavement is a "low-level" crime.

I remember playing hopscotch at school and outside my house and what harm did it do? It didn't.

It keeps youngsters active and, I mean to say, it can easily be washed off the pavement.

It seems police - not our local police I must hasten to add - had reports about chalk markings on a large stretch of pavement.

A spokesman said: "There have been many reports of anti-social behaviour and we will deal robustly with this issue."

Really, playing hopscotch cannot be anti-social behaviour and, I think, most people would like to see the police deal "robustly" with criminals rather than young children.

So what other activities could be seen as anti-social behaviour? What about conkers, marbles, leapfrog, skipping and making daisy chains? Well, they've all been banned for safety reasons.

Talk about the nanny state.

Children have been taking part in these activities for years and there's never been a problem before.

What are youngsters supposed to do nowadays if they can't take part in simple playground games?

The Government says youngsters should be more active, but how can they be when these stupid laws are enforced. At the end of the day, it's contradicting itself.

I suppose all it does is make the youngsters sit indoors and spend hours behind a computer screen. Now that really produces a healthy, outdoor-activity attitude.

What's wrong with allowing youngsters to enjoy themselves with these activities. After all, we all did it when we were young. Didn't we?

FOOTBALL NOTE

THIS week one of my football-mad colleagues is on holiday so I haven't had to absorb volumes of football trivia.

However, it is amazing how much football knowledge I have absorbed subconsciously.

I even surprise myself sometimes - last week I could name the England footballer who was being sued by Everton's manager.

However, I must point out it was only because I was watching the news while waiting for my favourite soap to start.

I still don't appreciate being surrounded by football banter, nor do I like the sight of a game on television.

For example, I was sitting in a pub with some friends at the weekend, when suddenly the music was switched off and football commentary was blasted through the speakers.

We couldn't hear ourselves think, let alone speak so we found a football-free zone. And that's not as easy as it may seem.