THEY must be off their rockers. European legislators now want to ban rocking horses.

These toys have been enjoyed by children since the 1700s. In all that time it is hard to recall a single rocking horse fatality.

There is much that is wrong in Europe. So we cannot understand why law makers are wasting their time on a ludicrous directive that threatens to put craftsman Anthony Dew and his team out of business.

It seems that common sense is as rare in the European Union as rocking horse droppings.

Updated: 10:10 Thursday, November 27, 2003