I’m furious after our nightmare neighbour called cops about my kids hitting their privacy fence with balls while playing
A mother of four has criticized her nightmare neighbors for calling the police to arrest her children for playing outside.
Stacey Cope was baffled when she received a letter asking her children to stop playing soccer on their Hull Street.
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The warning was given to the fuming mother, who lives on Parkfield Drive in Spring Bank West, by Places for People officials, who said her games were banned after a disgruntled neighbor complained complain.
Stacey said live hull: “Not a single kid on this street has ever broken anything, whether it’s a window, a fence, or a car.
“That’s why I was surprised when someone from Places for the People and two police officers knocked on our door on Monday.
“They gave us a letter and warned that football matches would be banned from the streets, after a neighbor complained.”
The letter described the sounds of street football and the clattering of fences as “annoying” to others.
But Stacey insists no child intentionally kicked the ball into the privacy fence or went out at inappropriate times.
However, a spokesperson for Places for People wrote that there were “several complaints” filed.
“Complaints received were about children playing football in the street. This included kicking the ball into the fence and into the garden,” the letter read.
“The ball hit garden fences, residents’ windows and the constant bouncing of the ball was annoying.”
Officials added that while children can enjoy the outdoors, they must treat the property with respect.
A spokesperson for Places for People later told Hull Live: “We work to create and support thriving communities.
“According to police advice, any ball game that is played repeatedly and intentionally resulting in damage or nuisance may be classified as anti-social behaviour.”
But Stacey and other parents in the area aren’t pleased with this warning – and argue that sending kids to the park instead could jeopardize their safety.
“The majority of children are under 10 and there’s no way we feel comfortable sending them to a playground where we can’t watch them,” she added.
The worried mother-of-four talks about the antisocial behavior that is plaguing the local park and feels it is “unsafe for young children”.
Another neighbour, Katie, said: ‘My youngest is 6 years old and I feel much better when I let him play with other kids in front of the house.
“If the balls hit any car or window, it would be mine due to where my house is but I’ve never had a problem.
“Would people want us to buy another device to throw in front of the kids for fun?”
Katie insists she has never received a single complaint from her neighbors about how loud the kids are.
“I can’t believe someone called the police because the kids were having fun,” she added.
Meanwhile, one resident, who did not want to be named, praised the street and the freedom that children used to be able to play freely “without having to worry about traffic”.
They explain that parents at Parkfield Drive are always “watching” and making sure the kids “don’t get in trouble”.
Plus, another local worries that if the ball game is banned, children will have to play further away.
“Then they could be in real trouble,” the man said.
According to Stacey, the scary ‘Ball Games’ sign will appear soon and the kids are very upset.
She said: “Our youngest child was born under lockdown and safe interaction with other children was invaluable to her.
“I feel so much better about her starting kindergarten knowing she’s used to playing with other kids. The pandemic took that away from her from the start so it’s important that she baby got that now,” she added.
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