IT seems that despite the trailers, the miles of press coverage about Heath Ledger’s terrifying performance, and ubiquitous reviews, some parents are still complaining that the new Batman film’s 12a certificate is too low.

And, of course, the main cause for complaint is that the violence on screen will lead to copycat violence on the streets.

In fact, with all his talk of slicing people’s faces open, it’s surprising that no-one has suggested that the Joker is single-handedly responsible for the “rise” in knife crime in Britain.

Anyone who complains that they didn’t know the content of the film before walking into the cinema must have been living in a vacuum for the last few months.

Coming in the same week as the news that over-protective parents are ruining their youngsters’ childhoods, doesn’t it seem obvious that if kids were allowed more time to play, climb trees, build dens, fall over and graze their knees then under-12s wouldn’t need to be plonked in front of a big screen to amuse them anyway?

We can’t say we are protecting youngsters’ childhoods on the one hand, if PC parenting is taking it away with the other.

A little common sense would go a long way.