60% of offences by children are for serious and violent crimes

THE SCALE of Britain's knife crime epidemic is evident in the rising number of children being cautioned and sentenced for violent offences.

- Lucy Johnston

A shocking report reveals 60 per cent of crimes involving under-18s are for serious acts such as robbery, violence and sexual assaults – up from 57 per cent in two years.

Last year, 19,396 cautions and sentences were issued to children and teenagers across 42 police forces in England and Wales.

Of these, 11,639 incidents involved violent and serious crimes, a rise of 12.4 per cent in a decade.