Between 2006 and 2007, 26 10-year-olds in Northamptonshire were caught breaking the law.

The figures from the Youth Justice Board also show that 28 11-year-olds had legal action taken against them for offences of violence against a person.

There were also four incidents, which resulted in a police warning or court action, involving 12-year-olds who had committed vehicle thefts.

The figures for the past 12 months reveal that two 13-year-old offenders committed motoring offences and an 11-year-old was found to have committed arson.

There were 3,359 offences by children and teenagers in 2006/2007 – girls were responsible for a third of these.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: "Having young people in the criminal justice system at the age of 10 is highly unusual. Most children of pre-teen age come to our attention because of petty thefts and can be dealt with in many ways, often through an informal action, a reprimand or formal warning. In none of these instances do children receive a criminal record."

Dave Palmer from the Kettering Youth Offending Team said there was no evidence to suggest offenders were getting younger. He said: "We are conscious that children are children and they're still developing.

"Mistakes you make as a child can be learned from more quickly.

"There's no evidence to suggest that younger people are committing more crimes than they did previously."

County director of Victim Support Glynis Bliss said a minority of teenagers ruin people's expectations of all young people.

She said: "There are people who are really quite fearful of young people, which is a terrible shame.

"We have to keep it in perspective but a small number of young people can cause misery for an entire estate."

Mother-of-three Angela Edwards, of Naseby Road in Kettering, said parents needed to take responsibility for their children's actions.

She said: ""I think they need shock tactics because there's no discipline.

"A lot of parents are going to work and leaving their children at a younger age, when perhaps they shouldn't be left."


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