A FIVE-year-old has become the youngest criminal in Britain after being served with a new type of court order.

The youngster was involved in theft with older children while he played truant from school. The problem became so bad that a child crime-busting group imposed a new child safety order on the boy.

The youth offending team in Sunderland had to apply for the order in the Family Proceedings Court to start the move - one of just two such orders imposed in the country.

The child safety order was introduced to deal with youngsters under ten, the age of criminal responsibility, who were causing trouble.

Head of the youth offending team Helen Watson said: "They were brought in for children who were involved in behaviour that would be a criminal offence if they were of age.

"Sunderland have had the only two in the country. The first was served in April last year on a nine-year-old involved in burglaries, fire-starting and shoplifting.

"Then in October, a child safety order was placed on a five-year-old who was offending with teenagers.

"He was used by others who were involved in things like theft."

The three-month order ended in January in conjunction with a parenting order, which allowed the authorities to work with the boy's parents.

An action plan was prepared to help the boy and after three months there was a dramatic improvement in his behaviour.

The youth offending team was set up as a pilot scheme two years ago and was the first in the country to deal with the provisions introduced in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act.

The legislation brought in an array of orders to replace the old system of reprimands and final warnings from police for young offenders.