Killing time on a long motorway journey I tuned into Radio 2 and heard an interview with Tommie Rose, a most articulate 12-year-old schoolboy.

He’d apparently spent the winter clearing snow from residential drives and running errands to raise capital.

Realising many of the pupils at his school spent their pocket money on crisps and sweets he bought in bulk at bargain prices; took his stock to school and sold at a profit.

Fulfilling the needs of his young customers earned him up to £200 per week.

I wanted to cheer hearing of such enterprise and endeavour. Here was a young kid prepared to work hard to earn his own money rather than sponging off his parents. On top of that he had the acumen to read his customers, buy the correct stock and sell it at the right price.

It was a great uplifting story demonstrating what motivated children can achieve with initiative and determination. I felt sure his school, the Oasis Academy in Salford, would be truly proud of Tommie’s endeavours. Especially since the only Salford kids in the media recently have been looting shops.

How wrong was I?

To my utter amazement Tommie Rose was suspended from school for 10 days for breaching a school rule forbidding the sale of sweets and crisps, although selling vegetables and fruit would have been perfectly acceptable.

So, vending unpopular produce had the full approval of the school while selling snacks students actually wanted was banned.

I shall never be able to explain that to my Chinese friends who delight in enterprising children. Or my American associates who would fall over themselves to offer Tommie a job.

What the hell has happened to us? We’re in the grip of the worst financial crisis in our lifetime and we’re punishing a 12 year-old kid for working hard and showing initiative.

How are we going to compete in the global economy if we’re strangling enterprise with puerile bureaucracy?

We’re already forcing kids to play football with sponge balls because real footballs are ‘too dangerous’. (I haven’t mentioned this to any of my overseas friends.)

Britain has become a global joke providing endless material for foreign comedians.

NB. According to his father, Tommie earned over £80 while on suspension buying unwanted CDs for pennies and recycling them at a profit.

Browsing around a large M& S store today I selected a pair of trousers and took them to the till.

" That’s £39.99, " said the cashier.

"I think you’ll find they are £29.99," I told her.

She scanned the ticket again. " No, they are definitely £39.99."

I was sure the price listed above the rail said otherwise and went back to check. It clearly stated £29.99 so I queried it with the department manager.

"The sign does actually say FROM £29.99," he told me but when I checked there were no trousers at that price. They were all £39.99. An adjacent rail carried a price banner of £19.99 but all the stock was £29.99.

"Haven’t you got the prices mixed up?" I enquired.

"We asked head office and they told us to lay the stock out like this and to let them know how many customers complained."

"So, let me get this right. You’re advertising trousers £10 cheaper than they actually are and counting the number of customers who notice?"

"That’s what we’ve been told to do."

Interesting strategy isn’t it? Only at your M&S.

I was filling up at a petrol station when the car behind catapulted past me screeching to a halt at the airline. The driver lurched out of the car followed by two young children.

He stuffed 20 pence into the compressor and began inflating his tyres while the kids played hopscotch on the kerb.

He’d only done two tyres when his money ran out and he bellowed a scream of foul-mouthed invective. He thumped the machine then turned on the kids yelling at them. I had a terrible feeling they were going to pay the price for his ill temper but didn’t know how to react.

I obviously couldn’t accuse him of abusing the kids before he’d done anything. On the other hand I didn’t want to hang around while he vented his wrath on two frightened little children.

It was a moment of divine intervention. I slid out of my truck and floated over to the airline. I winked at the kids and slipped a 20 pence piece into the compressor.

"This one’s on me" I said, pointing towards the airline.

The kids smiled broadly as I returned to my truck.

It was the best 20 pence I ever spent.