Boy of nine held for drink driving

A ROAD safety charity has hit out at under-age drinking after a nine-year-old boy was arrested for driving while over the limit.

The schoolboy, too young to be prosecuted for a criminal offence, was breathalysed and arrested in Cumbria for drink-driving.

Officers were stunned when they took him into custody and discovered his age – which means he is too young to be held accountable for his actions.

A Freedom of Information request has found he is just one of 2,467 juveniles across Cumbria, the North-East and North Yorkshire arrested for crimes including car theft, aggravated vehicle taking, drink-driving and underage driving over the past two years.

Kath Hartley, from the charity Brake, which campaigns for lower speed limits and other aspects of road safety, said: “It’s incredibly concerning that young people, many of whom will have had no formal driving tuition, are risking their own and others’ lives on our roads. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

“It is a clear example of why we need road safety education as part of the National Curriculum.

“Young people must be taught the dangers of getting behind the wheel without proper training.”

A sample of the figures show that across Tyne and Wear a 10-year-old, four 11-year-olds, eleven 12-year-olds and thirty three 13-year-olds were arrested for car theft over that time.

Durham Police arrested a 12-year-old and four 13-year-olds for aggravated vehicle taking, among dozens of other teenagers aged 18 and under.

A further 619 youngsters were hauled into police custody in Cleveland and North Yorkshire. Cleveland Police revealed a girl of 14 had been arrested for car theft, among their total of 502 juvenile car crime arrests since 2009.

Cumbria Constabulary made 248 arrests, including eleven 14-year-olds accused of car theft.

Yet despite the appalling youth crime, the various police forces are keen to stress that vehicle crimes were down overall.

Chief Inspector Bob Ryan, of Northumbria Police’s Harm Reduction Unit, said: “The hard work isn’t over.

“We are not resting on our laurels and we want to see even further reductions.

“Motor patrols officers and neighbourhood teams carry out regular visits to schools and colleges to educate youngsters about responsible driving.

“We also work closely with road safety organisations to educate young and future motorists about dangers on the roads.”

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/246945/Police-forced-to-free-boy-of-9-held-for-drink-driving-Police-forced-to-free-boy-of-9-held-for-drink-driving-#ixzz1MXgRpE8c