This week, we are looking back to a story from the Warrington Guardian from December 1919.

Justice was rather different 103 years ago.

Warrington Juvenile Police Court heard of a ‘somewhat remarkable’ case where three young boys had been stealing money from a sweet shop on Bold Street.

The boys, seven, nine and 10, were part of a gang who went around stealing and taught others how to steal.

A woman who lived on the premises shut the eldest boy in the shop when 3s 10d – equivalent to 19p in today’s society – fell out of his pocket.

At court, the boys were charged with stealing a total of 10s 10d – around 54p – by the magistrates.

The older boys were sent to an industrial reformatory school, and the younger boy was ordered to receive six strokes of the birch rod.