REGARDING your article in the Daily Echo on April 7 headlined: "Youths with catapults 'kill ducks' at park".

The lady concerned told how angry she was after spotting two boys 'taking aim' at ducks paddling in Shirley Pond.

She also saw a dead pigeon at the park, which she believed had been shot.

It beggars belief how anybody could be so cruel and even think it was a fun and normal thing to do.

That was until I witnessed something yesterday.

Walking up the road I saw three boys about 13/14 years old playing football on the path.

One boy finished the game with one last high kick and left the ball on the verge and they walked off.

It looked a bit deflated so I thought, it's no use to them now.

Just ahead of me was a young dad walking with his two little girls about 3 or 4 years old.

He was engrossed in his mobile phone as they ran on they too went over to the 'ball', inspected it and then both of them started to stamp on it.

Young dad momentarily looked up from his phone, glanced at his two little girls, then walked on, looking back at his phone.

When I got to the 'ball' on the grass verge, to my horror, I saw that it was a dead pigeon.

Used as a football, stamped on repeatedly by two little girls for fun.

When I had read that article about those youths abusing the ducks with catapults, I didn't think anything could get worse.

What's more worrying, these children involved, will grow up and breed the next generation of cruel, unfeeling, human beings.

Sadly that young dad, engrossed in his mobile phone, has already passed his lack of empathy on to his children...and so it goes on...frightening!

S Jones

Sholing