Yahoo News Police officer confiscates daffodils from girls who picked them for Mother's Day
A video has been released showing the moment a female police officer confiscated daffodils from a pair of schoolgirls - who had picked them for their gran on Mother's Day.
Dad David Taylor, 31, was going to visit his mum when his two young daughters asked if they could pick the flowers for her.
But Rosemary, ten, and five-year-old Emily were left devastated when a police officer arrived and ordered them to hand over the 27 daffodils.
Carpenter David decided to film his confrontation with the female officer as his upset daughters sat in the car.
In the 1.49-minute clip, the dad-of-two is heard saying: "We were picking flowers for Mother's Day, not bothering anybody.
"Its public land, but this police officer decided to take them off my children."
When the officer claims David 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."
David was on his way to visit his mum when his daughters picked the daffodils from the verge near Berryhill Park in Mansfield, Notts., on Sunday lunchtime (26/3).
The carpenter, who lives in Nottingham, said the girls wanted to give the flowers to their gran and then take some back to their own mum.
David added: "We were just on the way to my mums and the girls asked if they could pick some flowers for their gran and mum.
"We pulled over and I told the girls not to pick too many so they only had about a handful.
"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.
"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.
"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' mum, 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.
"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."
* It is against the law to pick flowers growing in council parks or on council-maintained roundabouts or verges.
Any gardens with flowers planted by organisations are also protected under the law.
