Director of public prosecutions says by contrast other parents seemed to view joining in disorder as ‘a day out’

A 14-year-old boy was spared prosecution for involvement in the riots that gripped parts of the UK this summer because his parents gave him a stern telling-off, whereas others had appeared to regard the disorder as a bit of fun, the director of public prosecutions has said.

Stephen Parkinson drew a comparison in another case, in which the mother of a 12-year-old boy was ordered to pay £1,200 in compensation to his victims, and the child was given a referral order, after she went on holiday to Ibiza rather than attend court.