Five girls, aged as young as eight, are believed to have broken into a nursery last month and stolen bikes.

The break-in caused £500 worth of damage at the Trinity Children’s Centre in Aperdele Road, Leatherhead.

Much of the damage was caused by sandpits being left open and 'exposed to the weather' between 6pm on Friday, August 16 and 8am on Monday, August 19.

Five stolen bikes have been recovered and returned to the nursery - which reopens on Wednesday.

Police have spoken to all the girls suspected of carrying out the raid.

Three of them are aged 10, which is the age of criminal responsibility when the law assumes they are old enough to tell the difference between right and wrong.

They have been interviewed by police under caution.

The police's youth intervention team is putting now together a file to decide the outcome.

Crimes involving young children are very rare although last week it was reported that three boys, aged 10 and 11, were suspected of massacring 50 doves with an air rifle in a dovecote in Bookham.

There were just five cases of criminal damage and one of theft reported in this age group in Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Elmbridge and Mole Valley between April 2012 and March this year.

But in 2010/2011 there were seven thefts, involving eight-year-olds and 10-year-olds, in Mole Valley alone.

A Surrey Police spokesman said its youth intervention team and police officers visit schools and other locations to advise children about the dangers and consequences of crime.

He said: "The reduction in reported offences over recent years indicates that this positive approach and early interaction with young people by neighbourhood officers is paying dividends and Surrey Police will continue to work hard to maintain the low levels of offences."

 

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