Teen violence is rocketing - yet only one in 50 is jailed

Official figures reveal the number of under-18s punished for a violent offence increased by 19 per cent - from 9,516 to 11,285 - in 12 months.

The average age of each thug was 15.

Despite the surge in violence, only 2 per cent of those dealt with by the justice system were sent to custody to teach them a harsh lesson.

Six out of ten cases never even reached court and the yob was let off with a warning. The remainder were given a fine, discharge, court order or community penalty. Yet almost 40 per cent of violent juvenile offenders were reconvicted for another crime within 12 months - suggesting the original sentence was no deterrent.

Tory home affairs spokesman David Davis said last night: "Ten years ago Labour promised to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. This shows that they continue to fail.

"With violent crime by youths rising in such a significant manner Labour are not only letting down thousands of victims but they are on the way to betraying a whole generation of young people to a life affected by serious crime - either as victim or perpetrator."

The latest figures, which cover 2004-2005, show the overall reoffending rate for children remains stubbornly high, despite repeated Government attempts to target the under-age crimewave.

Ministers have tried early intervention and parenting programmes, as well as pouring millions of pounds into Asbos and the Respect agenda. But, according to yesterday's report, almost 41 per cent of those convicted reoffend within 12 months - a fall of only 2.5 per cent in five years.

Three-quarters commit another crime within the first six months of being sentenced.

For offences such as domestic burglary, the reoffending rate was more than 50 per cent.

Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust, said: "Over the last two or three generations crime committed by young offenders has very quickly reached astronomical levels.

"Of course not all children are criminals but the standard is being set for the next generations that we will have a country so overrun by youth offending that no one will be able to turn it around."

It comes only a week after the chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service revealed fewer than half of criminals supposedly brought to justice are being taken to court.

The majority escaped with on-the-spot fines, cautions and warnings. Stephen Wooler said the "over-zealous" use of such penalties - rather than taking criminals to court - could damage public confidence.

In his annual report, he warned that the public could begin to view the criminal justice system as a "revenueraising initiative".

Graham Robb, interim chairman of the Youth Justice Board, said: "I am pleased to see that the actual rate of reoffending by young people has fallen by 2.5 percentage points.

"The reoffending rates for many offences are continuing to fall - the reoffending rate for robbery is now less than 50 per cent and for fraud and forgery less than 40 per cent.

"Our challenge now is to reduce reoffending rates even further by focusing on the small hard core of persistent young offenders who commit multiple crimes."