A father complained Mother's Day was 'ruined' after a police officer confiscated flowers that had been picked by his daughters.

David Taylor was taking his daughters Rosemary, 10, and Emily, five, to visit his mother at her home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, when the girls spotted some daffodils.

They asked Mr Taylor if they could pick some for their grandmother and mother, which he said they could but told them not to take 'too many'.

But when the trio returned to his car, they were 'told off' by a police officer, who said he had committed a criminal offence and later confiscated the 'handful' of flowers, which had been picked from council land.

David Taylor (left) said a police officer (right) confiscated daffodils his daughters picked after they went to visit his mother in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Mr Taylor, of Forest Fields, Nottinghamshire, said: 'We were just on the way to my mum's and the girls asked if they could pick some flowers for their gran and mum.

'We turned around to go back to the car and a police officer was stood there and said we shouldn't be doing that.

'I said I understood where she was coming from but there are hundreds by the side of the road there.'

He then decided to film the incident after his daughters were made to feel 'criminalised' by the officer.

Mr Taylor then filmed the incident and his two daughters, Rosemary, 10, and Emily, five, are seen looking upset in the car

The officer told him he had 'committed a criminal offence' which he rejects, saying: 'Have I really? 'Picking flowers off of public land? They're not endangered, they're not rare'

In the 1.49-minute clip, Mr Taylor is heard saying: 'We were picking flowers for Mother's Day, not bothering anybody.

'It's public land, but this police officer decided to take them off my children.'

When the officer claims Mr Taylor has 'committed a criminal offence', he replies: 'Have I really?

'Picking flowers off of public land? They're not endangered, they're not rare.

'I think you're disgusting, taking flowers off children while they're picking them.

'Haven't you got anything better to do, rather that harassing children?

'The person only upsetting my girls is this police officer.

'I pay my taxes, and her wages.'

Mr Taylor added: 'She explained it was illegal and then took the flowers off the girls which upset them and is why I started filming it.

'I respect the police and the law but I feel like it could have been dealt with a bit better with some common sense.

The flowers can be seen in the police officer's car here (left) while the police officer speaks to the young girls (right)

'It just really rattled me that she took that attitude.

'It ruined Mother's Day for the girls because they were looking forward to taking the flowers back to their mum when I dropped them off.'

David, who is separated from the girls' mother, said he would rather have paid a fine so his daughters could keep the daffodils.

He added: 'She gave me a telling off, which I understand, but the flower had already been picked so I don't see why she had to take them from the girls.

'I would have rather paid a fine so the girls could keep the flowers for their gran and mum.

'The girls have been criminalised for doing something that everyone does.

The flowers were picked from council land near Berryhill Park, Mansfield. Picking flowers from council land is illegal

Is it illegal to pick flowers? According to The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, it is illegal to pick flowers in: - Council parks, displays, roundabouts or verges - Nature reserves or protected land Any gardens with flowers planted by organisations are also protected under the law. Flowers on wild land are allowed to be picked but many are protected by the act, meaning it is illegal to pick those too. Advertisement

'I have always taught my girls to respect the laws and for the sake of picking flowers I now have to explain to my kids what they did wrong.

'I just feel it was a bit of a waste of police time when you look at all the other crime there is going on in the area.'

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed the officer confiscated the flowers from the girls and took them to a care home.

A spokesperson said: 'An officer spotted a family picking flowers from a council maintained verge near Berryhill Park, Mansfield.

'The officer provided the family with some advice about picking flowers, and the matter was not taken any further.

'A bunch of 27 flowers were taken to a nearby care home so they did not go to waste.'