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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police catch 'vandal' aged three | Police catch 'vandal' aged three |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A three-year-old child was caught with a gang of children who were vandalising a building in Dundee, it has emerged. | A three-year-old child was caught with a gang of children who were vandalising a building in Dundee, it has emerged. |
| A freedom of information request revealed the child had been the youngest member of the group. | A freedom of information request revealed the child had been the youngest member of the group. |
| BBC Scotland has learned that the children had been throwing paint at a house which was due for demolition in the Fintry district of Dundee. | BBC Scotland has learned that the children had been throwing paint at a house which was due for demolition in the Fintry district of Dundee. |
| The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is eight, but crimes committed by younger children are recorded. | The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is eight, but crimes committed by younger children are recorded. |
| The child was caught as part of a police operation targeting vandalism in the city. | The child was caught as part of a police operation targeting vandalism in the city. |
| I think any crime of vandalism does have to be reported and it might actually show evidence of more of a problem Ch Insp Sandra RichardsTayside Police It identified eight youngsters who were each responsible for more than 10 acts of vandalism, some causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. | |
| The incident involving the three-year-old took place last May. | The incident involving the three-year-old took place last May. |
| Ch Insp Sandra Richards, from Tayside Police, said that while a child that young would not be prosecuted it was still important to report acts of vandalism. | |
| She said: "Basically they had found some paint and they painted a house that was due for demolition, so it's not as though they were targeting anybody in particular. | |
| "I think any crime of vandalism does have to be reported and it might actually show evidence of more of a problem in that particular area, so I think it's still valuable to report it to us. But obviously with a three-year-old we're not talking about a crime or any understanding of what it is they have done." | |
| Tom Roberts, from the Children 1st charity, said: "There has been a lot of debate recently about the age of criminal responsibility and Children 1st urges policy makers to remember that children who cause trouble are most often extremely troubled themselves. | |
| "They may be living in households or communities where they see or are on the receiving end of violence or neglect." |