POLICE cracking down on the 40 worst young offenders in north Kent have revealed that one of them has been arrested on 76 occasions in recent months. An armoury of tactics is being used to target the repeat criminals who leave a string of burglaries, thefts and other crimes in their wake.

Some of the children are as young as 10. They come from Gravesham, Dartford and Swanley. Officers have joined forces with social workers, teachers and other agencies to ensure the small core of diehard young thugs does not re-offend. Former convicts are also helping in a bid to put the youngsters on the straight and narrow.

Chris Pond, the Gravesham MP, has asked the Home Office minister responsible for police and courts if he knew about the case of the youngster who has been arrested 76 times in the past few months. Mr Pond suggested the courts were letting the youths down by not treating repeat offenders seriously.

Minister John Denham, said: “We have to ensure that action is taken to try to stop persistent offenders reoffending. We need a sentencing framework that ensures not only that that can be the case, but that those people who are determined to flout the law in the way that my hon. Friend describes receive the punishment that they clearly deserve.”

But Insp Martin Cunningham of the North Kent police said the police were working with various organisations to try to keep youngsters out of court. “It is a very small minority of youngsters who commit crime, and those most at risk from them are aged between 12 and 15,” he said.

Many were keeping clear of trouble after being set clear rules on their conduct, he said. Their parents were also actively involved. Until they were involved in the discussions, many children did not understand there were rules of behaviour, said the inspector.