TEENAGE KICKS

Thrill-seeking and a distrust of police drove the young to join in last summer's riots, report finds

- SOPHIE HUSKISSON

NG people who took part in last summer's riots were driven by thrill-seeking and distrust of the police, a report finds.

Hundreds of children - some as young as 11 - were caught up in the unrest across England sparked by the Southport child murders.

Childrens Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza, who spoke to around a fifth of the youngsters who were charged during the disorder, found that children were not primarily driven by farright, anti-immigration or racist views as had been believed.

Instead, many of the children's involvement was spontaneous.