Dramatic 160 per cent rise in ‘threat to life’ notices by police – to some as young as 14

Children as young as 14 are receiving rare notices from the police warning them that they are at risk of being murdered or serious harm – known as threat to life notices.

Channel 4 News can also reveal that the number of such notices being issued has risen dramatically in many parts of the country.

The figures obtained by Channel 4 News were released under the Freedom of Information Act and relate to notices sent by police forces across the UK since 2014.

They reveal that the number of “threat to life” notices issued by the Metropolitan Police has risen by almost 160 per cent within two years.

The Met, Britain’s biggest police force, issued 64 threat to life notices in 2014 to 166 last year – an increase of almost 160 per cent.

In 2014 this included 64 warning notices (10 Female : 0 under 18; 59 Male; 0 under 18).

In 2015 these included 138 warning notices (15 Female : 0 under 18; 123 Male : 11 under 18).

In 2016 166 warning notices were issued but the breakdown of gender and age was not available.

Some of the recipients of these notices are children. The youngest on record is 14.

Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and South Yorkshire Police have also witnessed increases between 100 per cent and 150 per cent.

Greater Manchester and East Midlands police declined to provide details of the number of warnings issued.