Some 34% of arson suspects identified by English and Welsh police forces were teenagers or younger – with one as young as four years old, the research finds.
“A significantly concerning trend was the sheer number of children and young people the police considered to be arson suspects,” said criminal injury law specialists Legal Expert, adding that in some areas, as many as 60% of all known suspects were under 18-years-old.
“To date, there has not been a prominent nationwide review of why arson attacks specifically are so often being carried out by children and young people,” continued the company.
The findings come from responses from 36 police forces to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, which identified 3,884 young people aged under 20, between January 2022 and December 2024.
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