Children facing charges

A 14-year-old boy faces 18 burglary charges following a police investigation into a string of commercial business burglaries across Northland.

In addition, he has been charged with being unlawfully on a property and unlawful interference with a motor vehicle and is due to appear in the Youth Court at Whangarei next month.

A team of Whangarei police have pieced together the extent of offending by a group which included an 11-year-old boy.

Police arrested the group of eight as they drove to Kaikohe following a number of burglaries in Whangarei last week.

Since then the Whangarei inquiry section have discovered 20 businesses from Waipapa, Kerikeri, Kawakawa and Whangarei had either been broken into or an attempt was made to break into them.

Constable Natasha Waterhouse confirmed the 14-year-old would face 20 charges while the 11-year-old would appear on 19 burglary charges, most of which were attempted burglaries. Four girls aged under 16 would also appear in the Youth Court on seven burglary charges.

All the juveniles had been referred to the Police Youth Aid section.