More than 3,570 children have been arrested in Havering over the last three years - including a ten-year-old for a sexual offence - it has been revealed.

The figure was released from the Metropolitan Police after a freedom of information (FoI) request by the Recorder.

They show that in total 15 children aged 10 were arrested for offences including theft handling, violence, burglary, criminal damage and public order.

It also reveals that 268 13-year-olds were also arrested, including five for sexual offences, 79 of them for theft handling, 57 for violence, 32 for robbery and 30 for criminal damage.

The age group with the largest number of arrests is 17-year-olds with 1074 being arrested in Havering over the last three years, followed by 16-year-olds with 936 arrests, 15-year-olds with 678 and 14-year-olds with 452 arrests.

The age group with the least number of arrests in Havering is the 10-year-olds with 15 arrests.

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell said that he was shocked by the figures.

He said: “I am concerned that any child that age is capable of committing that sort of crime and it is a terrible example of their upbringing.

“I think that parents have a lot to answer for if their children behave in that way.

“I think that parents should be held responsible for the actions of their children and if they behave like that then maybe they are not fit to be parents.”

In England, the age of responsibility is aged 10, this means that at this age children are deemed to know the difference between right and wrong.

Children aged 10 and under can not be held criminally responsible, but arrests can be made and are logged.

Councillor Steven Kelly, Deputy Leader of the Council, said:“We are starting to do a lot more work with whole families, not just young people, where we think there may be issues that could lead to family breakdown or children getting involved in crime.

“This early interventions helps to stop problems from developing and shows parents how to deal with difficult behaviour. Working with the whole family can help keep young people away from crime.”

The figures come a week after the Recorder reported that the 11-year-old Romford boy who hit the headlines as the youngest person to appear in court for looting during the riots, appeared in court again after he was arrested at Asda in Romford.