I suppose I was about five years old when I first got in trouble with the police.

I was in my first year of a primary school.

When the classroom teacher arrived to take our class, she found that the classroom was empty.

Can you imagine the shock and the distress that she suffered and the fear as she went to see the headmistress and told that her entire class of 24 children was missing?

They searched the school but no sign of the little boys and girls.

Eventually they called the police.

About half an hour or so later, I remember being stopped by a policeman accompanied by a worried teacher who came out of a black police car.

Behind me was a procession of tiny children following me obediently hand-in-hand as we walked calmly along the road.

I remember being lifted up into the arms of the policeman.

“The teacher was late,” I explained “so I read them a story but they got bored so I decided to take them out for a walk instead.”