Dad shames vandal son, 13, on Facebook and takes him to police after he smashed up bus shelter
A FATHER has publicly shamed his 13-year-old son over Facebook before taking him to the police for vandalising a bus shelter.
Single dad Arthur Ord, 51, shared an incriminating photo of his teenage son at the crime scene in Seaham, Durham, captioning the snap: "I've not brought him up this way".
Mr Ord admitted the decision was agonising but reasoned: "He needs to learn. He's had a couple of little scrapes recently and I need to do something to slow him down before it is too late.
"I won't allow him to run away and hide from what he's done, not on my watch.
"He is at a very impressionable age, and I worry unless he gets a hard lesson, what will happen?
"When I was young, you went over the knee and got a proper a** slapping, but now you have to find another way as (parents') hands are tied by the law in so many ways."
He needs to learn. He's had a couple of little scrapes recently and I need to do something to slow him down before it is too late
Arthur Ord
Mr Ord posted to the Seaham Have Your Say Facebook group, writing: "I'm sad to say one of the boys in this picture is my son."
He went on to say: "I feel so embarrassed and ashamed that he would do this. I have not brought him up this way and do apologise for his behaviour.
"He will not be seen out in a long time and I will await the police and he will accept his guilt.
"Once again I'm so sorry for his actions the embarrassment is hard hitting."
'PARENTING AT ITS BEST'
Parents responded with overwhelming praise, saying they had "total respect" for the dad's actions.
One parent said: "Don't be ashamed. If anything you are the one parent that can hold his head high.
"It Is the parents that cover for there kids that should be ashamed."
Another called it "parenting at its best".
One woman commented: "Not easy to do Arthur, but I admire and respect you for this. I'm sure your lad, isn't a bad lad, but may learn valuable life lesson."
When the youngster returned, the father admitted his son "had a bit of cry and a 100 per cent grilling" after his dad collared him about the offence.
The punishments are being dished out at home, too.
"He is not out for a good month and he's going to be kept away from Seaham for quite a while," claimed Arthur, a painter and decorator.
"He has no Xbox or internet either.
"He tried to say it (the shelter) was already smashed, but he couldn't lie straight in bed.
"Sometimes they need to be punished from the police just to scare them. I'll end up paying any fine, but he needs that authoirty.
"Sometimes it is the softly soft approach and it allows them to carry on.
"I didn't put it on to shame him - I put it on because he should be punished.
"Even though it is your own kid, you are not doing them any favours by protecting them."
Arthur asked for his son not to be named.
Durham Constabulary officers interviewed the boy on Saturday following the incident on Thursday last week on Seaton Lane.
A spokesperson said: "We received a report of a bus stop window being damaged on Seaton Lane, in Seaham.
“A 13-year-old boy was interviewed by officers and admitted causing the damage.
“He will be referred to the Youth Offending Service.”
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Meanwhile, startling statistics released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) exposed the terrifying reality of crime sweeping the UK.
A total of 90 more homicides - which include murder and manslaughter - were recorded by police in the year to September 2018.
The numbers, which exclude victims of large-scale incidents like terror attacks, have seen the numbers rocket 14 per cent from 649 in 2017 to 739.
Official police-recorded data shows violent crimes are up by 19 per cent.
The surge in crime across the UK has sparked warnings from police and authorities as they tackle the horrifying spree.
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