A new report has laid bare the shockingly young age of some of the nation’s car thieves, with over 1,150 children charged for stealing vehicles in the last three years.
More than half (53 per cent) of offenders under the age of 18 are between 15 and 16, according to research by Direct Line Motor Insurance.
The youngest cases on record since 2019 include minors aged just 10.
Child car thieves: A shocking report has revealed that 1,156 under-18s have been charged with motor theft in the years 2019 to 2021, according to figures supplied by the Ministry of Justice
In the years 2019 to 2021, some 1,156 under-18s have been charged with vehicle theft, according to figures supplied by the Ministry of Justice.
That works out at an equivalent of more than one per day on average.
While over half were between 15 and 16, a staggering 10 per cent of offenders were aged between 13 and 14.
The investigation uncovered that seven children aged between 11 and 12 were charged during the period reviewed.
And, startlingly, South Yorkshire Police told the insurer that it had dealt with cases of children as young as 10 being arrested for car theft in each of the past three years.
Direct Line says instances of car crime involving children are likely to have risen this year, as the data shows a decline in vehicle thefts by minors during Covid-restriction-hit periods.
The figures show that 514 under-18s were charged with vehicle theft in pre-pandemic 2019, though these numbers dropped to 356 in 2020 and 286 in 2021, which is linked to virus-related travel restrictions.
Part of the insurer’s research, conducted in partnership with the University of Huddersfield, included interviews with convicted car thieves.
Startlingly, South Yorkshire Police told the report that it had dealt with cases of children as young as 10 being arrested for car theft in each of the past three years
During conversations with those under the age of 18, one offender stated: ‘They say car crime is a gateway of crime. Yes. That’s how it was for me anyway. I’ve done everything. Town robberies and everything.’
Another said his family got him involved: ‘When I was young, my father, he told me when I was eight, I was driving round the park and his brother signed me up. My mum and dad split up…My dad came back on the scene and yes, he got me taking a few cars here and there. Then I went on being on my own, doing cars on my own’.
A third offender started: ‘I got into drugs at a young age. I was about 14 when I fell into drugs and car crime just came hand-in-hand with it’. He went on to admit he used heroin and crack cocaine and was committing crimes under the influence of those drugs.
The offender explained why he ‘chose’ vehicle crime over other offences: ‘It was one of three options. It was either shoplifting, which is embarrassing and degrading. There’s burglary, which carries a lot more time, more jail, and then there’s car crime which is, we used to say when we were kids, taking candy from a baby.’
The notion of car theft as a gateway crime is supported by data from West Yorkshire Police.
It shows 765 people aged under 18 in the region were charged with other offences between 2019 and 2022, having previously been charged with vehicle theft.
Of these, 180 young people were charged with burglary having previously been charged with vehicle theft.
Professor Rachel Armitage, Professor of Criminology, University of Huddersfield, said: ‘Our research found many prolific car thieves start committing vehicle crime at a young age, often in their early teens.
‘Unfortunately, car crime can often be a gateway crime to more serious offences.
‘Offending can sadly be driven by older family members, or to fund an illegal drug habit, so it is important we also consider how vulnerable children can be supported to help prevent them engaging in criminal activity in the first place.’