REGARDING the moves to ban the smacking of children under three (LET, September 8), Hyndburn MP Greg Pope's support for this is ridiculous.

Children need to be taught discipline from an early age. A slap on the legs or bottom never did any child any harm.

You only need to look at some of the young today and what they get up to -- and all because of the lack of discipline.

What does Mr Pope want a parent to do when a child does wrong -- pat it on the head and say: 'That's naughty?'

Have MPs nothing better to do than take parents' rights away on how to discipline their own children? They, after all, know their children better than anyone.

GLADYS ROBINSON (Mrs), Edge End, Great Harwood.