POLICE wrote off more than 140 crimes a week last year as the offender was too young to prosecute.
Forces recorded 7,358 cases involving under-tens — with some perpetrators aged two.
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Police fear the rise in young suspects is related to county lines gangs (stock picture) Credit: Getty
Among the crimes alleged — the total of which was more than double the 3,641 in 2015 — were assaults, race attacks, drug possession, vandalism and arson.
It comes amid fears that county lines gangs are targeting school-age children as drugs mules.
Suffolk Police recorded four cases involving two-year-olds — three assaults and one shoplifting.
Norfolk recorded one assault by a child of two.
Greater Manchester recorded a three-year-old with a weapon and a child of four behind a racist assault.
Cops in Lincolnshire spoke to two alleged vandals aged four and a supposed arsonist of five.
Dorset Police had a case of four-year-olds linked to a sex assault.
In West Mercia, an eight-year-old was linked to a burglary, while Durham had an alleged stalker aged nine.
Among the tally were 59 racial assaults, 160 of having a weapon, 75 attacks on cops and six said to involve drugs.
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