"YOU can't touch me." So says a tiny tearaway, who is terrorising his York neighbourhood.

He knows that police cannot arrest him because he is only eight years old.

English law means the boy, who has been known to police since he was four, cannot be held responsible for his actions until he is ten. But one senior officer has already branded the boy - who is only 3ft 10in tall - a "terrorist", because of his night-time campaign of harassment and intimidation.

Police say he is responsible for pushing dog mess through letterboxes, smashing windows, damaging cars, pelting people with eggs and assaulting other youngsters.

Beat officers say he is not alone. They are facing more "untouchables" who are involved in nuisance across the city.

One said: "The biggest problem we expe-rience is trying to explain to people why we can't do anything. We can't arrest or interview him. Someone might call us in for some dam-age or something and point to the youth as the culprit. He will be standing there, but we can't do anything."

Officers point to several other young troublemakers who are responsible for a wave of antisocial behaviour in the city. They include:

A boy arrested two days after his tenth birthday for shoplifting. He has already been stopped several times for theft.

An eight-year-old arsonist seen trying to set fire to a parked car. He joins gangs of older teenagers who roam the streets and throw eggs.

A nine-year-old boy caught up in a series of late-night disturbances on streets in the Acomb area and stopped by the police for aggressive behaviour.

Inspector Colin Moreton, of York Police, said he was aware of the problems his officers faced when confronted by under-tens.

How can we help these kids to kick crime?

Under 13, perhaps underprivileged and little understood. A new generation of potential troublemakers is on the way in York. Reporter Chris Greenwood looks at the good work being done to turn a small group of youngsters away from the path to crime.

THE sickening sound of metal on metal screeches through the quiet York residential street.

Residents look out of their windows to see what has happened.

Outside stands a group of young children. Most are in their early teens, few are more than five feet tall, but all are dressed in baseball caps and baggy casual clothes.

The shortest member of the group stands sheepishly holding a bicycle handlebar in his hand, the end marked with red paint. He is standing beside a damaged parked vehicle - a car of identical colour.

The police are called and the car owner points to the young lad. He hasn't gone anywhere while people waited for officers to arrive: he has no reason to. Firstly, most residents know who he is. Secondly, he knows the police can't touch him. He's only eight years old.

An officer arrives and speaks to the child. It is difficult to tell if a crime has been committed. The boy claims the damage was caused by an accident as he ran down the street. There is no evidence either way, but the officer has spoken to him before for noisy and abusive behaviour.

Even if the damage was caused maliciously, the boy is too young to be arrested. The age of criminal responsibility is set at ten years old. Yet the residents want to see something done and they criticise the police for their apparent inaction.

This sad tale is based on a true story and the experienced police officer who recounts it points to the frustrations of all those involved. His hands are tied as he cannot act, except in the most extreme of cases. The boy is not dealt with and the car owner is left aggrieved.

What happens now? This boy is no hardened thug, but addressing his behaviour is surely not only a job for the police. His parents are shocked to find out what he has become involved in. The officer wants to make sure that this situation does not happen again.

Now in York there is a route for help.

Forward-thinking youth workers at City of York Council have set up a special panel for helping to divert youngsters from misbehaviour before they get mixed up in real offending and see themselves dropped in the criminal justice system.

One year since the Youth Inclusion Support Panel (YISP) was set up, workers have helped create programmes of counselling and support for 18 young people aged between eight and 13. Thanks to their work not one of those individuals has gone on to receive a final warning. It is a remarkable statistic.

Panel worker Diane Markwick has spearheaded the work and is proud of the group's achievements.

She said: "It's all about putting mechanisms in place to divert them away from further trouble. It's about gaining the family's trust and making small steps initially. As the family get more confident about the service here they are happy to access more support and more help.

"Normally, parents are worried about their young people and if you can build a good relationship with that parent they will do everything they can to support their child. We've seen a huge difference and we've got great feedback from community police officers, housing workers and social services.

"You see the difference it makes with families. You see the improvements we make in different areas. It's a very good service. It gives us the opportunity to work with young people and families before they get into trouble."

The programmes vary in length between two and six months. Individuals take part in one-on-one work which helps them understand the consequences of their behaviour or their parents might be helped to access other voluntary groups that could support them.

Those who have received YISP support have been recommended by agencies such as the police, housing officers or social services. Now the group is taking self-referrals from families who feel they need more help.

Alan Hodgson, a restorative justice and early intervention manager, said the panel plays a crucial role in helping to bring youngsters who may be at risk of offending or more serious antisocial behaviour away from the brink.

He said: "We don't tend to deal with that immediate crisis. We are brought in by other agencies when there is a build of problems."

Parents who wish to contact Diane Markwick for advice on whether they could benefit from extra support should telephone 01904 554565.

Updated: 10:26 Friday, November 05, 2004