I REFER to the amount of discrimination against our young people.

The majority of parents struggle to keep their children amused during the many school holidays but I am rarely faced with this issue as my children have a large circle of good friends who share the same interests of sport and are equally good natured boys of 11 and 15.

However, I am constantly frustrated at the way so-called ‘mature’ adults treat our young people.

How do they expect our young people to grow into civilised adults if they are constantly faced with prejudiced adults who believe all teenagers to be ‘yobs’?

My son came home in disgust from Sandringham fields today after playing football, man hunt (today’s version of hide and seek) and playing on the swings.

He had been verbally abused by a man with his young child who told them they had no right to play on the swings.

Two old ladies who accused them of smoking and swearing and who also told them they had no right to be at the park.

And a man in his 30s who claimed to be in the police force and told them they should play elsewhere and accused them of being intimidating to the two old ladies and their grandchildren. The only evidence he had was the word of the two old ladies.

What do these pathetic people suggest they do during the holidays, go into town and hang around the shops, stay locked up indoors or mug old ladies?

Their only crime was having fun.

I am not a biased mother who can't see wrong in her own children.

People often comment on what a credit my children are to me and how polite they are.

They are very respectful of me and others around them, they come in on time and let me know if they're going to be late and have never been in trouble with the police or smoked.

On the contrary, they often preach to people who do smoke as they find it disgusting.

I find many old people of Dorchester to be rude and obnoxious but I do not assume all to be that way nor treat them with contempt.

I welcome anyone who assumes all teenagers to be ‘yobs’ to spend time at my home and get to know my children and their friends before judging them.

If those pathetic people who were at Sandringham today and were the ones who were being verbally abusive toward the boys read this letter, I welcome you to come and see me because I would like you to give me a satisfactory reason as to why my children have no right to be at that park.

After all, my family and I all work and pay our taxes and unless I’m missing something, it is a public place and you do not own the ground nor have the right to say who plays there!

Jane Russell, Monmouth Avenue, Dorchester.