Cops leave boy, 3, in tears after stopping him playing with toy car in park

COPS left a boy of three in tears after stopping him playing with a remote-controlled car.

Idrees Waiyasil and his dad were forced to leave Battersea Park, South West London, after being accused of breaking bylaws.

The furious dad told last night how cops in stab vests confronted his three year-old son as he played with a pair of toy cars.

Cops pulled up in a van and told the pair their red models were banned under park bylaws because they were classed as “mechanically-propelled vehicles”.

Hariz was even threatened with a caution.

The pair were forced to leave Battersea Park, South West London, on Wednesday afternoon.

Mechanic Hariz said: “My son just burst into tears.

“I have nothing against the police but is this really the best use of their time? We weren’t causing a nuisance or annoying anyone.

“I explained that they were just battery-operated remote-controlled cars, not the noisy petrol ones.

“But the officers said, ‘We’ll give you a warning now, but if you carry on we’ll issue a caution’.

“They had high-vis jackets, stab vests and radios.”

Idrees’s toy car is powered by two AA batteries and is a mini version of his dad’s.

Hariz added: “I said to the officers I would put my car away but asked if my son could continue playing with his. But they refused.”

The pair were on a private road used by joggers and cyclists.

A sign on the barrier leading to it says “No unauthorised motor vehicles beyond this point”.

Parks and Events Police are employed by Wandsworth Council to carry out patrols in the area. Although separate from the Metropolitan Police, they have powers of arrest and use liveried vans that are the same as the Met’s.

A council spokesman said: “Battersea Park is extremely busy with people jogging and cycling and officers may have considered the remote controls were causing a nuisance to park users.”