Police in Kingston have been called on to explain why they stopped and searched three children under the age of 10 in the past 12 months.

Stop and searches are used when police believe someone has stolen property, drugs, guns, knives or other offensive weapons on them.

Another 2,377 children under the age of 18 were searched, according to the stop and search reports compiled by the Metropolitan Police.

A spokesman for civil rights campaigner Liberty said: “Being stopped and searched by the police can be a distressing experience for anyone but for a small child it could be terrifying.

“Kingston police should explain why they thought it was necessary to use such coercive powers on children who have not even reached the age of criminal responsibility.”

Nobody from Kingston police was available for comment.

Asked about searches of under 10 year olds, Graham Speed, the Metropolitan Police Authority representative for Kingston, said: “That is a question that needs to be asked to the borough police because I don’t know the answer.”

But Mike Hoare, an ex-police officer and now community representative from Chessington on the Kingston Community and Police Partnership, said: “I can’t see that the age makes any difference. The fact that they may be under the age of criminal responsibility is in effect neither here nor there.”

He said he had stopped and searched children under 10 years old when he was on the force although “rarely” and said: “You don’t think children steal or damage? Of course they do?”

Overall, police have stopped and searched 18,419 people, including 12 pensioners, since June 2008, leading to 644 arrests.

The news about young people involved with crime follows a Freedom of Information request made by the Surrey Comet last month, which revealed children as young as 10, only just old enough to meet the age of criminal responsibility, were being arrested for criminal damage, being drunk and disorderly and possessing drugs in Kingston.

Criminal damage was the biggest problem, with 63 arrests made, followed by possession of cannabis, for which 11 children were arrested. One 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of drug dealing.

Since 2006, the number of youth arrests has dropped year on year for all crimes as police spend more time dealing with the issues which drive them to break the law.

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