CHILDREN playing on a bike ramp on a road were excited when a police van pulled into their cul-de-sac.

But they became shocked when several officers jumped out and approached them.

Now the father of one of them said the police response to a neighbour's complaint about the youngsters going up and down the ramp on their bikes was over the top.

But the police say the van was on its way elsewhere and was passing, so officers volunteered to look into the complaint.

The youngsters had put the ramp next to the turning circle at the end of Winsford Drive off Waterloo Road in Waterloo last Sunday lunchtime.

It was next to the home of one of them, nine-year-old Daniel Clarke.

His father, 43-year-old Chris Clarke, said: "I was just cooking a barbecue and when the van turned up I thought something major must have happened.

"Then I saw the police talking to Daniel and went to see what was the matter."

He said the officers told him a neighbour had complained and they advised Mr Clarke that the ramp should not be used on a public highway.

Insp David Glover, of Huddersfield Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the police had received the complaint shortly before 11am that day.

He said the van - staffed by two constables and two police community support officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team - was passing the area at 1.10pm on its way to another job and the officers volunteered to go to Winsford Drive.

He added: "They were there for six minutes and the officers advised the children about their safety."

The van normally patrols areas where police have received calls about anti-social behaviour.