Police visit mum after shop smack warning Police visited a mother, who lives in Southampton, after she told off her children in a supermarket. Mother trailed by policeman and warned by council for telling off son at checkout (dailymail.co.uk, 09 November 2009) Video: police quiz Christian pensioner over gay beliefs (25 October 2009) School nurse dismissed for smacking son loses appeal (20 August 2009) Father arrested for smacking son (17 November 2008) Christian foster couple banned over smacking (09 April 2008) Monday, 9 November 2009A mother who warned her naughty children they may be smacked was followed home by an off-duty police officer and later questioned. The incident happened while the mother, 34, was out shopping at a Southampton supermarket. She had warned her children, aged eleven and four, that if they continued to misbehave they would get a “hiding” when they got home. An off-duty police officer, who witnessed the telling off, then secretly followed them to the family home and two uniformed officers visited six weeks later. When the police came to the home, they advised the mother to use a ‘naughty step’ or to withdraw treats as discipline instead of smacking. The family later received a letter from social services which said no further action would be taken “at this time”, but added: “We would like to advise you that we do keep the information on record.” The mother, who remains anonymous in order to protect her children, said: “It was an amazing intrusion. I was doing what parents should do, and what thousands do every week – setting moral boundaries for how children should behave.” She also said: “If no one stands up to this oppression, this political correctness, parents will lose responsibility for their kids and the state will take over.