A teenager from Ringwood has been sentenced after pleading guilty two shopliftings in the town.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Southampton Youth Court last Monday (6 January).

He was handed a three-month Youth Rehabilitation Order and must also pay £45 in costs and a £26 surcharge.

The sentencing follows thefts from shops in Ringwood on Sunday 1 October 2023 and Monday 25 March 2024.

During the first incident, the boy stole motor oil and sweets from the Esso petrol station on The Bridges.

On the second occasion, he stole scratch cards from Central Stores on Parsonage Barn Lane.

Sergeant for Ringwood & Fordingbridge Neighbourhood Policing Team, Chris Pell, said: “During the two incidents, businesses in the local area were impacted, something we won’t tolerate, no matter what the age of the offender.

“When it comes to dealing with young offenders, in the majority of cases the most suitable option is to work closely with youth offending teams and local diversionary services, to divert youngsters away from crime, and set them on the right path so they can make a positive contribution to society.

“We don’t want to unnecessarily criminalise children, so will always seek the most proportionate route to dealing with young people whose behaviour has crossed the line into criminality.

“As a neighbourhood team, our work to tackle youth-related anti-social behaviour has a huge impact on reducing young offending."

Referring to this individual case, Sergeant Pell, said: “There’s a small minority, however, whose offending leaves us with no option, but to seek prosecution.

“On this specific occasion, it was only right that the impact of this boy’s actions was reflected through the charges that were brought to court.

“As a result of this individual’s actions, he will now have a criminal record.

“Getting a criminal record at such a young age can have a detrimental impact on a person’s future, so I really hope that this can be a lesson to other young people that actions have very real consequences, not only to victims, but also to you as the offender.

“I hope the outcome at court and the referral order imposed here will help to protect the community as a whole going forward, as well as divert this boy away from any further criminality.

“Please be assured that we will continue to work hard to reduce this type of offending across our communities. As part of that, we continue to investigate those suspected of being involved in other similar incidents reported to us and will continue to keep you all updated on any developments, where possible.”