W.C. Fields, the early 20th century American misanthrope and actor, famously hated children. He is quoted as saying, 'Children should neither be seen or heard from - ever again'. He also said, 'I like children. If they are properly cooked.'

He'd have had a feast in Southwark, where about 400 children have been recruited to form a vigilante group, charged with spying on their elders and reporting perceived misdemeanours.

It is reported that Ealing council presides over 'hundreds of Junior Streetwatchers, aged eight to 10 years, trained to identify and report environment crimes'. This lot have even been given a name. Will they be fitted out for uniforms next!

This is not only a disgusting abuse of children; it is extremely dangerous. There is no-one more spiteful or vitriolic than a small girl with a grudge. Ask anyone who's ever been a small girl!

Some authorities are even offering money in exchange for information.

Have they never read Lord of the Flies, where a group of boys stranded and alone quickly turned into a bunch of savages? Or even the William books? William and the Outlaws would have had a ball 'reporting' their adult adversaries, especially if there was a shilling to be made in the process.

There are perfectly respectable youth groups - cubs, brownies, scouts, guides, a plethora of cadet corps - who would be only too pleased to organise themselves into graffiti cleaning or litter-picking work parties and whose leaders would blanche and run a mile at the prospect of 'telling' on the perpetrator.

Little kids in London calling a number keyed into their mobile phones to tell a disembodied voice their least favourite neighbour had put grey-bin rubbish in the green bin may seem a far cry from what happened in Germany in the thirties or in the Soviet bloc during the Cold War, but from tiny acorns, mighty oaks do grow.

Take away moral restraint from a generation of children, introduce money into the equation, give children the impression they are doing a civic duty and you'll have them reporting queue-jumping grannies.

Let's leave children alone to play and to interact with one another and with the adult world around them. They shouldn't be made to feel obliged to save the earth or burdened with keeping the rest of us in line.

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