Criminal age 'should be raised'

Prof Morgan said Scandinavian methods were more effective

The age of criminal responsibility should be raised to ensure fewer young people become serial offenders, the ex-head of the Youth Justice Board says.

Rod Morgan said placing youths in foster care or boarding schools could be more effective than locking them up.

The age of criminal responsibility is 10 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and eight in Scotland.

Former Conservative home secretary Michael Howard said this was a "quite reasonable" threshold.

'Working'

There are currently about 3,000 young people in custody in England and Wales.

Professor Morgan said the number had doubled in recent years and added that keeping one youth in a secure home cost the taxpayer