I AM glad that I am not a young person growing up in Wyre Forest today.

Having read the Wyre Forest community safety booklet 2004, which was delivered to us all inside the Christmas edition of the Shuttle/Times and News, I was horrified and angered to discover that "children playing" now comes under the heading of "anti-social behaviour".

For the information of crimeserviceagency.co.uk "children playing" is not anti-social behaviour - and, in fact, teaches them how to co-operate with others and to develop essential social skills needed in adulthood. All children need increasing amounts of freedom to explore the world for themselves.

In a time when every spare piece of grass has "no ball games" signs, school playgrounds are out of bounds in holidays, and roads are so filled with parked cars, no-one can ride a bike or skateboard on them. Play areas are so few and far between that you need to be at least 13 to go without a parent in tow - where exactly are children meant to be? No wonder there is a growing obesity problem in the UK.

My own three children are too young to be out and about alone yet, but I do hope that when they are old enough to experience their first taste of "freedom" - as we have all enjoyed - if they should be found "playing" that they will not be classed as anti-social and reported to the police.

MRS MAXINE WATKINS

Sheraton Drive

Kidderminster