Letter: Long and short of it

Sir: Helen Cresswell argues (apropos enforcing restrictions on the watching of violent videos by children) that: 'When we shorten the flex of an electric kettle to keep it out of a small child's reach, we do not call that interfering with civil liberties' (Letters, 7 April).

I would like to point out that anything we choose to do as individuals (or as parents) cannot possibly constitute a threat to civil liberties. It is only when the authorities decide to step in and make that choice on our behalf (effectively depriving us of that choice) that civil liberties are interfered with.

As far as I am concerned, we can have our kettle flexes as long or as short as we like. But as soon as the Government decides to set up 'the Kettle Flex Length Committee', that is when we should recognise the threat to liberties and our ability to make autonomous decisions.

Yours,

CIARAN GUILFOYLE

Nottingham

7 April