Children under 10 cannot be prosecuted as they are below the age of criminal responsibility.

BBC: Child crimes in Norfolk revealed

The age of criminal responsibility is also 10 in Wales and Northern Ireland.

BBC: Minister backs criminal age of 10

Lord Sheldon described the age of criminal responsibility as a "problem" when it came to avoiding unnecessary sentencing of young offenders.

BBC: Minister backs criminal age of 10

The report notes the concern of some neuroscientists that the current age of criminal responsibility in the UK is set too low.

BBC: Age of criminal responsibility 'too low', experts say

Advances in neuroscience suggest the age of criminal responsibility - 10 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - might be too low, according to a study.

BBC: Age of criminal responsibility 'too low', experts say

Calls from England's children's commissioner to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 were rejected by the government in in March 2010.

BBC: Age of criminal responsibility 'too low', experts say

While noting that the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is 12, the justice minister said there were "no plans to review" the age of 10 in England.

BBC: Minister backs criminal age of 10

The minister said the majority of people who had responded to the proposal were in favour of raising the age of criminal responsibility, and that the majority of cases at this age were already dealt with "largely through care" rather than the courts.

BBC: Justice Committee