A dad who took his children to pick Mother's Day flowers from a grass verge filmed a police officer confiscating the bouquet.

David Taylor criticised Nottinghamshire Police after the officer took away a bunch of 27 daffodils his two daughters had picked from the roadside, claiming he had been 'criminalised'.

But police insist the flowers should not have been taken from council-maintained verge - with the officer calling it a 'criminal offence' in the video.

Watch the row here...

Advert

Mr Taylor, from Nottingham, had been visiting his mother in Mansfield when he asked the girls if they'd like to pick some daffodils from the side of the road.

He said it was a 'spur of the moment' idea to entertain his two daughters, Rosemary, 10, and Emily, five.

In the video, David tells the officer: "I think you're disgusting, taking flowers off children."

Advert

Police said the officer had spoken to the family about picking flowers, and had taken the bunch of 27 flowers to a care home so they did not go to waste.

Mr Taylor, a carpenter, said: "I had told the girls not to pick too many, and they had about a handful.

Credit: SWNS



Advert

"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 down there."

He claims the police officer then took the flowers from his girls and made him feel as if they had been 'criminalised'.

"She took the flowers from the girls and it upset them which is what made me act the way I did by taking the video," he added.

Advert

Credit: SWNS



"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 that what they did was wrong.

"I feel like it could have been dealt with a bit better - with some common sense. She gave me a telling off, which I understand, but the flowers had already been picked so I don't see why she had to take them from the girls.

Advert

"It has ruined Mother's Day. The kids are just kids so they will get over it - it's just really rattled me that she took that attitude."

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: "Yesterday (March 25), an officer spotted a family picking flowers from a council maintained verge near Berryhill Park, Mansfield.

Credit: SWNS



"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."

Under the UK law, it is not permitted to pick any flowers which are in council parks or on council-maintained displayed, roundabouts or verges.