AT eight years old he should be playing with his Action Man. Instead, the boy had turned an aerosol into a makeshift flame-thrower and was torching litter in a York street.

Moments later a car on the forecourt of nearby Viking Vehicle Services was in flames. Inevitably, the boy is the prime suspect.

News that a child this young has become a serious arsonist surprised even the fire brigade. Sadly firefighters are used to putting out the conflagrations caused by youngsters who believe they have a right to destroy property and put lives in danger just to alleviate their boredom.

Usually, however, they are at least in their teens. Graham Buckle, York group manager for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, says most offenders are aged between 16 and 22.

And they are causing major problems. We reported earlier this year that the number of arson attacks on cars in York had almost doubled in the past year.

A child as young as eight emulating their crimes is disturbing, not least because he could so easily end up seriously hurting himself. Once again, we are left to worry about the legacy of absent parents and their amoral children.

So it is serendipitous that we also carry a story tonight which highlights the sometimes overlooked majority of children who are honest, responsible hard workers.

Their efforts have been rewarded with yet another excellent set of school results, this time in the Key Stage Three national curriculum tests. Our congratulations go to the teachers and parents, but mainly to the young achievers themselves.

Updated: 10:28 Thursday, March 30, 2006