Ban leaving police with egg on their face

Police in Barnsley are asking retailers not to sell the items to youngsters because they are traditionally thrown at other people, cars and buildings in the run-up to Mischief Night and Bonfire Night.

The policy has already come under fire after the wrong posters were put up in shops, incorrectly stating that the ban applied to customers under 21, when it actually covers under 16s.

Dr Spencer Pitfield, prospective Conservative candidate for the new Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency, said: "Children can pick up these items from their cupboards at home.

"I wonder how enforceable and workable a policy this is. We should go back to the root of the problem. The role of the family and parental responsibility play a part in stopping anti social behaviour."

Dr Pitfield added the errors on posters distributed to shopkeepers were "unfortunate" - but said he supported the police's initiative to tackle yobbish behaviour which traditionally occurs around South Yorkshire in the Autumn.

The offending posters, bearing the South Yorkshire Police logo, left locals bemused after they appeared in a supermarket in Hoyland.

They argued the under 21s ban on buying basic cooking items was "a step too far".

Mum-of-two Jane Owen said: "It's ludicrous, what are they saying - a 20-year-old can't decide to bake a cake because they can't buy eggs and flour?"

Today a spokesman for South Yorkshire Police admitted the warning posters and the information on the website were wrong.

He said the website was now being changed and all the posters that have been distributed in the Barnsley area were being withdrawn.

New posters will be created and a new page added to the website advising that under 16s will not be sold the items.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "There has been a mistake. The posters and that page on the website should say stores will not serve those items to people under 16 and should not say people under 21.

"We are carrying out an investigation to find out how this mistake occurred, it appears to have been a genuine mistake."

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