Young children including a three-year-old have been involved in crimes such as shoplifting, burglary and even a violent robbery, according to shock figures.

The statistics, revealed through a Freedom of Information request, show in the last three years there have been more than 60 crimes in Sutton where a child under 10-years-old is believed to have been responsible.

Children under 10-years-old are below the age of criminal responsibility meaning they cannot be charged with crimes.

Campaigners have said they now want children to be educated about the consequences of crime in primary school.

Among the offences children have been accused of is one incident where three children, one just three-years-old, were caught stealing Christmas gifts in Boots in Wallington in 2012.

The children entered the shop with a  man and woman and were spotted loading items into a bag before leaving the shop and getting into a car. No one was prosecuted.

In another incident, in a park near Wrythe Lane, Carshalton, last year, a gang including a 10-year-old boy attacked a man and stole his phone.

Three of the group, one aged 14 and two 17-year-olds were charged with actual bodily harm (ABH) but the 10-year-old could not be prosecuted.

Other incidents include a child aged five vandalising a car, a seven-year-old and a nine-year-old being involved in a burglary, a nine-year-old being accused of racially aggravated harassment and an eight year old being accused of ABH.

Police are unable to charge under-10s with crimes but can impose a curfew or put the child under the supervision of a youth offending team.

Children who break the law regularly can be placed into care through the council.

Sutton parents Ray and Vi Donovan founded the Chris Donovan Trust after their son, Chris, was killed by a gang of teens in 2001. Now they travel the country working with young offenders.

Mr Donovan said: "We want to get victim awareness put on the school curriculum. It's about explaining to children that their actions have consequences - we call it the ripple effect where the consequences of their actions ripple out and affect the whole community.

"There is also a problem with parents. In some cases parents are trying too hard to be their children's mates and going out drinking with them and things like that.

They aren't our friends, they're our children - there's more to being a parent than being their friend."

He also warned sometimes children were forced into offending by teenagers or adults becasue they could not be prosecuted.

A police spokesman said: "We were the first borough in London to run Police Academies - after school clubs where primary school pupils can work with police to understand how officers work in local communities.

"Officers also give regular talks in schools to pupils of different ages about personal safety. These talks and presentations range from stranger danger and dialling 999 through to drugs advice and about keeping safe on the internet."

David Tucker, associate head of policy at the NSPCC said: "Children who are suspected of behaviour that would be criminal may be showing signs that raise concerns about their welfare and this may need to be investigated so that appropriate support can be put into place."