Ten Teenage Criminals Guilty Of More Than 1600 Offences

Ten teenagers have been responsible for a massive crime wave in Edinburgh involving mor than 1600 offences, it has been revealed. Children as young as 14 have carried out hundreds of crimes such as robbery, serious assault, housebreaking, fire-raising and extortion.

One 14-year-old from the east of the city has committed 233 offences to become the most prolific teen criminal in the Capital in the last three years. Despite being repeatedly arrested by police, it is understood most of the “top ten” are free to roam the streets.

The figures, released under freedom of information laws, today sparked fury among politicians who called for the serial offenders to be locked up. They criticised a “lack” of secure unit places in Edinburgh to incarcerate the worst criminals and called for new youth courts to handle such cases. Police chiefs admitted the youngster’s records made “horrendous reading” as officers struggle to bring them under control.

The ten teenagers with the worst criminal histories during the past three years have carried out 1635 offences. Police chiefs charged with tackling this “hardcore minority” have previously said persistent offenders were usually suspected of ten times more crimes than those for which they were charged. Among this group, that would swell the total to more than 16,000 offences.

Inspector Andy Gilhooley, youth justice inspector for Edinburgh, said: “There are a small number of youths who are carrying out huge levels of offending. It can’t be denied that these statistics make horrendous reading and the impact on their local community is a big cause for concern. These are not the kids involved in antisocial behaviour, under-age drinking and vandalism. These are young criminals carrying out serious offences.

“We’re working with schools, social workers, the city council and other agencies to try to stop them entering the criminal justice system and becoming hardened career criminals. But there’s no simple answer.”

The lack of secure unit places to lock up young offenders in Edinburgh has come under fire in recent weeks after two 14-year-old joyriders from Craigmillar caught by the Evening News were freed by the Children’s Panel to go on another crime spree. The pair were finally ordered to be locked up last month, but the city only has 12 residential places to house delinquent children under the age of 16.

Kenny MacAskill, SNP justice spokesman, said: “This supports our argument that more secure places need to be created.”

Margaret Mitchell, Tory justice spokeswoman, said: “The hearing system needs more powers such as the ability to order weekend and evening detentions and drug treatment orders to youths this age. Youngsters like these should be going to youth courts to look at their behaviour at the earliest possible stage.”

Councillor Andrew Burns, the city’s children and families leader, defended the council’s record in providing places. He said: “The number of secure beds in each local authority area is set by the Scottish Executive. We are extremely confident that we have enough beds to meet our current needs.”

On Saturday, it was revealed that the number of young offenders in Edinburgh committing serial offences has risen over the past year. The Scottish Executive figures showed 87 children aged between eight and 16 were reported for at least five crimes during a nine-month period. The volume of persistent young offenders went up across Scotland.