Children as young as nine have been investigated for a range of criminal acts in the district, the Chronicle can reveal.
The nine-year-old was the youngest person to be questioned for criminal damage in North Shropshire in the last two years.
Other incidents include a 12-year-old suspected of burglary and a 10-year-old investigated for assault.
The figures concerning children of various ages being involved in criminal activity have been released following a Freedom of Information request to West Mercia Police.
It reveals the youngest person investigated for drugs possession in 2007 was a 16-year-old from Ellesmere. The drug in question was cannabis.
Other crimes include a 15-year-old suspected of taking a vehicle without consent and a 16-year-old from Wem investigated for robbery.
The police were unable to provide a breakdown of costs in dealing with young offenders.
Richard Ewels, police spokesman, said: “If police receive a complaint it will be investigated regardless of the age of those involved. If a case is proven the CPS will obviously take into consideration all relevant details concerning the offender including their age before deciding what course of action to take.”
John Murray, Wem town councillor, said although he was surprised by the figures it showed the current trend in society for a lack of respect. He said: “I’m astounded that people that young may be committing such acts.
“A lot of that is down to the parental control. We should go back to the old fashioned methods of dealing with things by teaching our children how to behave.”
However, a spokesman from Shropshire County Council said there was no evidence more crimes were committed by younger people and that council surveys showed improvements in people’s perceptions of anti-social behaviour.
George Candler, assistant director for learning, culture and community safety, said: “Crime has reduced by more than 20 per cent during the past three years in Shropshire, not increased as suggested. More than 400 young people enter the youth justice system per year, and this is reducing because of activities undertaken and a range of interventions including prevention work.”
