12-year-old boy jailed

A 12-year-old boy with a string of conviction has become one of the country’s youngest prisoners after being given a 10-month custodial term for offences including driving without insurance, the Times reports.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reason, pleaded guilty to two assaults, taking a vehicle and driving dangerously, driving without a licence and insurance.

Magistrates at Witham Youth Court in Essex were told that the boy suffers from a “conduct disorder”. He is said to have been arrested more than 60 times on suspicion of burglary, robbery, theft, breach of bail, assault, driving without consent, handling stolen goods and going to equipped to steal.