Article content

Tadhg Dunlop is 11-years-old and, like a lot of kids his age, he loves Lego. He loves its nuances, how the different pieces fit with the different sets, and he loves shopping for Lego, alone, with the permission of his parents.

But at the Lego Store in Calgary’s Chinook Centre that’s a problem. Young Tadhg, whose house is 4.8 kilometres from the Lego Store door, hopped on his bike with $200 in his pocket — money earned from babysitting and doing chores — last Sunday and pedaled off to the mall to buy some Lego.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Calgary boy, 11, detained by security at Lego Store for committing the modern-day crime of being alone Back to video

His father, Doug, had groceries to get, and arranged to meet his son at the store later on. But when Doug arrived, there was a problem. Tadhg had been detained for the modern day crime of shopping alone.

“Tadhg was in the corner of the store — he wasn’t mashed into the corner or tied up or anything — he was playing with some Lego, but probably feeling a little nervous, because a security guard was looking over his shoulder,” his father says.