Boy, 11, is 'ringleader' of crime gang terrorising Blackpool, MPs told

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A 11-year-old boy is the 'ringleader' of a crime spree in Blackpool, MPs have been told. Conservative MP Scott Benton claimed that a 'gang of teenagers' had been committing 'hundreds' of crimes in an area of the seaside town in recent weeks.

He said the young boy was responsible for 'over 80 offences including attacking a female police officer'. Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt encouraged Mr Benton, MP for Blackpool South, to seek a debate on how to tackle anti-social behaviour.

He said: "Residents in the Talbot and Brunswick area of Blackpool have been plagued by anti-social behaviour in recent weeks, with hundreds of different crimes being committed by a gang of teenagers. READ MORE:Driver fled after horror smash and left his two friends critically hurt - it was the last time he'd ever see one of them alive "The ringleader is an 11-year-old boy who has been responsible for over 80 different offences, including assaulting a female police officer.

Sadly the efforts of Lancashire Police to bring him to justice have been compromised by Blackpool Council’s children’s directorate, who refuse to criminalise teenagers. "Can we have a debate in this House regarding anti-social behaviour, the misery it causes to communities and whether the police have the appropriate powers to tackle these problems?" Ms Mordaunt replied: "I’m so sorry that his community are suffering from this series of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity.