Revealed: Children as young as 10 involved in moped gang crime across London

Revealed: Children as young as 10 are becoming involved in moped crime in London
City of London Police
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Children as young as 10 are rapidly becoming more involved in moped gang crime, as worrying figures reveal a spike in youngsters targeting Londoners.

The Metropolitan Police has recorded a dramatic 1,500 per cent rise in under-16s who faced convictions for crimes carried out using a scooter in the past five years.

Over the same period, the latest data shows a spike of over 450 per cent in that age group who were suspected but never convicted of a motorcycle-enabled crime.

In the last five years, 14 10-year-olds were reportedly involved in a crime involving a two-wheeled vehicle in the capital – and all but one of those was carried out last year alone.

The number of 12-year-olds involved in the same type of offence has also gone up, with an increase of 900 per cent since 2012.

The Standard has previously reported how moped-enabled crime reached epidemic levels in London, with a rise of 1,600 per cent in the same five-year period.

Last year, 8,300 crimes were carried out by thugs using a motorcycle. Five years earlier the figure was just 317.

There were over 5,500 moped-enabled crimes in the first four months of this year, more than the overall total for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 combined.

Gang crime: Moped thugs spray victim with fire extinguisher in bid to steal his scooter
Metropolitan Police

The scale of the crime wave was revealed after horrifying footage of several incidents involving moped gangs emerged from both the public and police.

Police officers face a struggle targeting scooter gangs due to strict rules on pursuits.

The Met’s pursuit policy means officers have to adhere to strict guidelines before chasing them at speed.

Superintendent Mark Payne previously told the Standard suspects occasionally take off their helmets in a bid to force police to abandon chases.

He said: “If a rider takes his helmet off, that’s a result for us. They will drive past five or six CCTV cameras and we will have his face. We know who they are and there is no point in pursuing them.

“We will bang on their door at 3am when it is low risk, why should we bother chasing them through the streets of London.”

Restrictions on pursuits were enforced more strictly after the death of 18-year-old Henry Hicks, who was killed when his moped crashed as he was being chased by police in December 2014.

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