Teenage vandals caught on YouTube

Aug 6 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

TWO 14-year-old boys from Wirral were arrested after police spotted a video of them vandalising cars posted on the internet.

The pair from the Seacombe area were arrested for damaging car wing mirrors.

The teenagers had posted the video of themselves committing the damage on the YouTube website and were recognised by police who keep checks on such websites.

The video shows the two boys running up to parked cars and launching kicks at wing mirrors.

East Wallasey Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Farrar said: “We actively view the internet to detect criminal offences as do members of the community who will tell us when they see something that concerns them.

“Anybody that posts material that amounts to a crime will be identified and arrested. I will not allow the community to suffer because certain individuals choose to use the internet as a 'showcase' for unacceptable behaviour.”

Local police have received numerous complaints from the local community about this type of anti-social behaviour.

One of the boys who had not offended before received a police reprimand.

The other teenager has been released on police bail pending a charging decision by the Youth Offending Team.

Both boys had their mobile phones seized.