Youngsters snared for housebreaking

Dozens of children – some as young as 10 – have been caught housebreaking in South Lanarkshire, shocking new figures reveal.

A total of 26 youngsters from the area were referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), placing the county fourth – behind Glasgow, Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire – in the housebreaking list of shame.

The statistics, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through a Freedom of Information request, covers a three-year period until 2017.

In South Lanarkshire, 16 15-year-olds were referred to the Children’s Reporter for housebreaking-related offences.

Eight 14-year-old housebreakers and would-be offenders were collared during that time.

Five offenders or fewer in each of the 10, 11, 12, 13 and 16 age groups were similarly snared.

To protect the children’s identities, SCRA would not be drawn on specific numbers in those age categories.

According to SCRA records, a total of 517 children aged between eight and 17 across Scotland were referred during that period for housebreaking.

Of those, 186 occurred last year, a figure that has remained much the same for the past three years.

The statistics revealed 15 was the most common age for a youngster to be referred for housebreaking to the SCRA, with 208 instances.

Shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said it was essential work was done with those referred to ensure housebreaking was not an offence that would be repeated in later life.

He said:“Being broken into and robbed is one of the most upsetting things that can happen to a household.

“For victims, it’s irrelevant what age the perpetrators are, it remains terrifying and can leave a lasting impact.

“It’s alarming that hundreds of children have been referred for this crime across Scotland in recent years, and the trend isn’t improving.

“We need to get in and ensure these youngsters are put on the right path, because once people start out on this road to a career in crime, it’s extremely hard to get them off it.

“When children who haven’t even reached their teens are being referred for this, questions really do have to be asked about the parents too.

“Housebreaking generally is a problem across Scotland, with an extremely poor clear-up rate.

“Having hundreds of under 18s contribute to this only makes things worse.”

Inspector Bob Bryce, of Rutherglen police, revealed there was only one crime committed in 2017 where children, aged 14 and 15, were caught housebreaking in the local area.

He said:“We are in partnership with social work and the Children’s Reporter to try and minimise a child becoming an offender.

“It is nothing to be complacent about and any criminality is a concern to us.”