Tearing children away from video games to focus on other things can feel like a losing battle.
But police in Blackpool have said they caught an 11-year-old boy behind the wheel of a car after his family became so fed up with his Grand Theft Auto addiction that they let him practice in the real thing.
The force said they were told he was taken out for a driving lesson to give him some time away from the PlayStation - and it's landed those responsible for him in hot water.
An image of the red Vauxhall he had been driving was shared on Lancashire Road Police's Twitter account on Sunday, March 1.
They posted it alongside a screenshot from the popular video game, showing a police car and the word 'Busted' - which the game cuts to when you are caught.
It said: "The driver of this car was 11 years old... (yes, eleven!) A family member was fed up with the child playing Grand Theft Auto all day on the PlayStation, so brought him out to practice driving on a car park Blackpool.
"The adult has been reported for traffic offences."
It shocked others on social media, with one replying: "Seriously 11? Really don’t get why an eleven year old was behind the wheel."
Another said: "Unbelievable some people."
A third asked: "If the parents are as irresponsible as that how will the kid ever learn?"
And one simply questioned: "Why is a child playing an 18 rated game?"
