Drop in criminal kids in the capital

By Cara Sulieman

CHILDREN as young as six have been arrested in the capital in the last year – but police insist they are winning the war on youth crime.

There has been a 25 per cent fall in the number of under-16s being arrested in the last year, but there are still at least six primary school children charged every week

And 312 youngsters aged between six and ten were arrested by Lothian and Borders Police.

There were seven children aged just seven referred to the children’s reporter and a total of 3947 youngsters aged between 11 and 15 charged by police between April 2008 and March this year.

Crimes committed by these under-16s included robbery, assault, housebreaking, joyriding, vandalism and possession of offensive weapons.