A 10-year-old child has been charged with reckless conduct after a fire hydrant was opened on an Edinburgh street - your views online

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A 10-year-old child has been charged with reckless conduct after a fire hydrant was opened on an Edinburgh street

Yvonne Robertson

Wow, how ridiculous things have become. A kick up the backside in my day, but surely getting ‘telt aff’ would’ve been more appropriate. Still, might be something more to this that we’re not aware of.

Marc Summers

So, a grown-up can drive a two-ton car recklessly at speed with the potential to kill someone and they get a “speed awareness course”! Surely a stern talking to would have sufficed for this 10-year-old.

Sarah Williamson

A 10-year-old charged for playing with water! Meanwhile, how many sex offenders are let off, never mind bricks thrown at buses, trollies over flyovers etc. I hope they get all the bams 16 years and older.

Brian Johnston

So some clown in a council van fly-tips plastic cones across the city and another blocks the highway with flower boxes an no arrests. But when a wee boy turns on the tap on a hot day it’s out with the cuffs and tazers. I hope none of these burly officers were injured while apprehending this desperado.

Michelle Mason

Can we charge the councils with culpable and reckless conduct over the state of the roads and the potholes?

Stuart Young

Why not fast track the bairn into the fire service?

Amber Carr

Funny how people are now moaning about a 10-year-old being charged, but bet most were critisising police not so long ago for not getting control of the attacks on buses. News flash! Some of the kids throwing stuff at buses are ten and younger.

Craig Jenkins

This isnt a one off. The area (EH15/16) had been plagued by loss of mains water through this.

Kimberley Watt

Tbh, this has been going on for so long now even streets have been going without water for weeks. It's been so irritating. And it's defo been a waste of time on the fire service as well. Bit crappy charging the 10-year-old though.

Lynda Horan

Honestly, this hydrant is spouting like a fountain most summers, as I recall. The kids move it and dance/play around it.

John Mcnaughton

We’re all young at some point, but some people in the area could be on kidney dialysis from home and that drop in water pressure would affect them.

William Crawford

Charged a 10 year old .... weird that, eh? The Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament on 7 May 2019 and received Royal Assent on 11 June 2019. Once implemented, the Act will raise the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland from 8 to 12. Additionally, it provides certain safeguards to ensure that harmful behaviour by children under 12 can be responded to in an appropriate and meaningful way, which will not criminalise children.

Jim Thomson

They have been letting off fire hydrants in that area for the past 20 years or so. Each time it gets hot they do it and in Niddrie / Greendykes too, so why charge a kid now?

Jacqueline Paton

About time! Younger generation need to be aware consequences happen.

Paul John Donnelly

That’s crazy. I live in Brooklyn now and the fire brigade open them for you during the summer. Even put a cap on them so it sprays. Brooklyn swimming pools.

Elizabeth Rennie

Don’t understand how they can just charge one bairn when it’s groups of kids that are way older than ten.

Sarah-jane Veitch

But the cannae charge the ones tanning buses and terrorising neighbourhoods - what a load of bull.

Lesley-Anne Rumble

How to get a child caught up in an endless cycle of criminality. What a joke.

Kate Steventon

Maybe the warning to kids this age is to prevent them from offending when they're older.

John Coats

Poor wee guy just wanted a wash, officer!

Michelle Sheridan

It’s about time they were giving these wee losers a fright and charging them. They get away with murder and think they can’t be touched cos of their age.

Brooke Mcgee

What about all the teen-agers that are setting them off, what’s happening with them?

Gary Finnie

This seems a bit of overkill on a child so young. I do hope they are lenient on him and offer counselling rather than criminalising such a young person for this.