Security guards ban boy, 9, from sailing toy boat on pond because it 'frightens the fish'

Security guards reduced a nine-year-old boy to tears after banning him from sailing his toy boat on a pond because it 'frightens the fish'. Noah Bailey was distraught after staff at Chiswick Business Park, in west London, stopped him playing with his model of the German battleship Bismarck.

His grandfather Paul Fabricius, 57, said that when they went to complain about the draconian rule the guard refused to tell him the name of the manager for 'security reasons'.

The corporate film director, who lives in Chiswick, said: 'On several weekends over this summer I have walked with my grandson, Noah, the out of the way pond to enjoy sailing his toy battleship.



'We were sat on the grass happily sailing the boats when a security man armed with a walkie-talkie approached and asked what we were doing. We were informed that the business park had rules, albeit undisplayed, and they had to be enforced and that included toy boats and dogs paddling.

'I quizzed him as to what was the reason for this embargo on toy boats and he replied that "it frightens the fish". 'It's just nonsense. How can it frighten the fish? It has only got a tiny electric engine. It gets overtaken by the ducks!'

Mr Fabricius then asked the guard who he should make a complaint to, but he refused to give the name of anyone in management or a contact number due to 'security considerations'.