A boy aged four is believed to be the youngest child in Britain apologising to its victim.

"The youngster who admitted causing criminal damage could not be taken to court as he was under ten - the age of criminal responsibility.

But instead of simply being given a ticking off by police, the boy from Norfolk was put through the "restorative justice" system.

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It meant he had to apologise to his victim and carry out other suitable acts to make amends for his wrongdoing.

The system is seen as an informal way of dealing with youngsters to make them realise the effect of their actions without giving them criminal records.

Figures show that those who go through a restorative justice process are often steered away from crime and are 27pc less likely to re-offend.

The case involving the four-year-old last year was revealed in statistics released by Norfolk Police under the Freedom Of Information Act.

The figures revealed that more than 500 children aged under 12 were dealt with in Norfolk under the process last year.

The children also included an eight-year-old burglar and two nine-year-olds accused of violence."

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7948276/Four-year-old-apolo...