Fines for parents of unruly youngsters
Children as young as ten could face on the spot fines of up to £40 under a new Home Office scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Under the new proposals, police officers will be allowed to issue fixed penalty notices to unruly youngsters aged between ten and 15; requiring the parents of offenders to pay the fines.
At present, police can only hand out fixed penalty notices to teenagers over the age of 16.
Seven police forces will be testing the new powers as part of a pilot scheme, with fines targeting offences from under age drinking to vandalism.
The forces taking part in the trial are Essex, Lancashire, Merseyside, the Met Kingston Division, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands and the Transport Police (West Midlands).
Defending the decision to issue fixed penalty notices to those aged under 16 years, Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said: “Police can deal firmly and quickly with first-time, low-level offending in a way that avoids the young person going through the criminal justice system.”
“At the same time, it will send a strong message to parents or guardians about their responsibilities as they will be liable for the penalty, not the child.”
“Parents cannot be spectators and have to take responsibility for their children”, she added.
Parents or guardians that fail to pay fines issued to their children could face prison.
Inspector John Clucas, of Lancashire Police told the BBC that PNDs (Penalty Notices for Disorder) for adults have become a key weapon in the fight against anti social behaviour.
“Our community beat managers told us they needed the PND option to be available for under 16s to allow them to deal with low-level incidents more quickly,” he said.
