10% of burglaries are carried out by schoolchildren

ONE in 10 burglaries are committed by schoolchildren – fuelling fears of a breakdown in family values under Labour.

ALARMING 65 340 break ins each year are carried out by under 16s ALARMING: 65,340 break-ins each year are carried out by under-16s

It means an alarming 65,340  break-ins each year are carried out by under-16s.

The new figures follow release of statistics showing schoolchildren are responsible for one in eight violent attacks.

Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, said last night: “Gordon Brown’s policies have contributed to family breakdown and failing school discipline.

“This in turn has fuelled crime, as is reflected in these shocking new figures.

“A Conservative government will support families, restore the much-needed discipline in schools and get police back on the streets fighting crime.

“Only then will we start to reverse the social breakdown we have seen under Labour.”

The figures, showing nine per cent – almost one in 10 – of burglaries involved school-age children, came from interviewing thousands of victims of crime in the British Crime Survey.

Britain’s youngest serial burglar is an 11 year old from Bristol. He was given a three-year Asbo after admitting seven burglaries and asking for another 19 to be taken into consideration.

Margaret Morrissey, of the National Confederation of  Parent Teacher Associations, blamed the lure of hi-tech gadgets such as laptops, mobile phones and iPods.

“I think in the past there was not really any reason for children to burgle people’s homes because there was nothing they were interested in,” she said.

“Now we have 14 to 16-year-old boys going in and looking for computers and other goods.

“We need to give them the opportunity to earn money to purchase the things they want.”

The survey also showed that 16 to 24 year olds are responsible for almost half of all break-ins.

In 55 per cent of cases the house is occupied during the break-in. Half of all offenders became violent if confronted.

The average value of goods stolen is £1,649.

At the same time membership of Neighbourhood Watch schemes has fallen from 27 per cent to 16 per cent in eight years.

Figures last week showed that 12 per cent – or 296,500 of the total of 2.47 million violent attacks last year – were by school-age children. They also carried out nine per cent, or 52,020 of 578,000 woundings.

Under 17s commit 809 crimes a day, a fifth of which are violent.

Children as young as 10 are committing dangerous crimes, including arson and sex offences.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Domestic burglary has fallen by 59 per cent since 1995 and the risk of being a victim is low. Deadlocks on doors and window locks mean you are 10 times less likely to become a victim.”

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