A child aged just 10 years old is amongst almost 30 under-16s that have been charged with arson offences in Suffolk in the last six years.
Meanwhile the teenager who admitted to starting a fire at the Delphi factory in Sudbury in May this year was one of seven 14-year-olds charged for the offence since 2019.
Statistics obtained via Freedom of Information request has shown Suffolk Police charged 29 children under 16 for arson offences in the last six years, with two in 2019, five in 2020, seven in 2021, eight in 2022, six in 2023 and one by September 2024.
Nine were 16 years old, eight were 15, seven were 14 and four were 12 - while the youngest of the accused was just 10 years old.
Thirteen of the fires took place in Ipswich, making it the town where under-16s are most likely to be charged with arson, while seven were in Lowestoft and three were in Bury St Edmunds.
Knodishall saw two charged during the six year period, while Beccles, Haverhill, Mildenhall and Sudbury all recorded one charge.
This comes after a fire at the former Delphi factory in Alexandra Road, Sudbury earlier this year saw a 14-year-old arrested and charged.
The boy has admitted to starting the fire and will be sentenced on November 14.
Children and Young People lead Supt Janine Wratten said Suffolk Police are "committed to steering vulnerable youths of all ages away from crime."
She continued: "To this end, we work very closely with partner organisations to identify and engage with those children to prevent an escalation of further offending.
"Such matters can be very complex so need to be dealt with sensitively by police. However, we do take a robust stance against such anti-social behaviour and crime and will always take appropriate and proportionate action.
“The welfare of the victim is of the utmost importance and support is offered at all stages to ensure their needs are met and that the appropriate services are provided."
Supt Wratten said "special measures" are utilised to ensure offenders under 18 are dealt with appropriately.
"Police officers work with partners in Youth Justice Services and Social Services to determine the needs of the child and to provide the appropriate levels of support to the family," she said.
"The 'criminalisation' of children is avoided, and rather the issues surrounding the offence are explored, including their potential vulnerabilities and home life, and work to reduce further offending is carried out."
Meanwhile a spokesperson for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said: "Arson and deliberate fire setting is a complex issue that varies significantly throughout the UK, and SFRS is committed to taking a leading role in engaging key partners and the public to reduce the impact it has on people and the blight it causes within communities.
“We work collaboratively with Suffolk Constabulary and other organisations to deliver age-appropriate fire safety education to children of all ages across the county.
"This is delivered in the community via Crucial Crew, which is a personal safety programme for Year 6 pupils and which covers a range of topics including fire safety, and within schools for our new Spark programme.
“This year we have educated approximately 3,500 Year 6 children about fire safety at various Crucial Crews across the county with more still to be delivered. Schools can book free Spark sessions on fire, road, water, beach and mud safety via our website which are then delivered in the school environment by trained personnel."
The spokesperson said that under Spark, children take part in various practical activities to learn the key skills they need, tailored to their age and understanding.
They added that parents can use interactive resources on the SFRS website to help children understand what to do in the event of a fire at home.
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