Three youngsters were put to work by their parents and police after smashing glasses across a car park.
Police were diverted from responding to emergency incidents by the youths' mindless actions in the St Helens area.
When officers arrived at the scene at Birchley Street car park yesterday evening, they detained the three children, who were aged 11 and 12.
In a post on its Facebook page, St Helens Police said: "Officers from our response department in St Helens were taken away from responding to emergency incidents this evening after three 11 and 12 year olds decided to smash glass bottles across Birchley Street car park."
The force explained that after they detained the youths, they and their parents ordered them to clean up the mindless mess they had created.
The post said:"Officers managed to detain the youths and with the parents present put them to work, cleaning up the mess they had made.
"Do you know what your children are up to when they are out? Tonight three sets of parents got a rude awakening!"
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The officers were praised for their actions by people responding to the post.
Claudia Ceppi Iturra said: "Excellent, hopefully police will teach these parents to be responsible about their children."
Joanne Roberts said: "Well done, it's a sad fact that some kids do not have any thought for the consequences for their actions or any respect for others.
"I wonder how they would have felt if a young child had fell and cut itself badly on the glass?"
Judith Wilson said: "Well done, some of these kids today are feral and have a couldn’t care less attitude.
"Glad their parents were there to see what they had done, and grounded them for punishment as well.
"Respect comes from within the home maybe that can be taught to them."
Frances Bloor said: "Good on the police. I bet those kids didn't expect to get caught and made to clean up, keep it up make them work for the trouble they caused."
