A SCHOOLBOY has been named in Parliament as the ringleader of a gang who carried out 80 crimes including the attack on a female police officer.
The 11-year-old is said to have been behind a spate of crimes in Blackpool over the last few weeks.
The claim about the boy’s involvement was made by Conservative MP Scott Benton after Lancashire Police announced three children had been arrested during a crackdown on county lines drugs gangs.
The Lancashire seaside town has been subjected to “hundreds” of offences by criminal groups who coerce children and vulnerable adults into transporting drugs.
Mr Benton, MP for Blackpool South, 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.
“The ringleader is an 11-year-old boy who has been responsible for over 80 different offences, including assaulting a female police officer.
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“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?’
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt said: “I’m so sorry that his community are suffering from this series of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity.
“He will know that it takes a team of people to redress this situation, it’s about education, it’s about the local authority, it’s about a good policing approach and I think this will be an excellent topic for a debate, and I’d encourage him to apply for it in the usual way.”
Lancashire’s clampdown saw 46 people arrested – which included 34 men, nine women and the three under-18’s.
Cash, mobile phones, Class A and Class B drugs and weapons including four machetes, six knives and a knuckleduster, were discovered.
Lancashire Constabulary’s Force lead for County Lines, Becky Smith said: “We are working harder than ever to crack down on county lines criminals who bring drug dealing and violence into our communities.
“This week’s activity is a snapshot of the work carried out across Lancashire every single day to disrupt those involved in organised crime and tackle county lines.”
