Ipswich knifepoint carjacking: Age of suspects 'beggars belief'

A woman was robbed at knifepoint while reversing on to a driveway in Ipswich

It "beggars belief" that two boys, thought to be aged seven and 12, could be behind a knifepoint carjacking, a police and crime commissioner said.

A woman in her 60s was approached while she was reversing on to a driveway on Westbury Road, Ipswich, at about 18:25 BST on 21 September.

One of the boys threatened her with a knife and demanded she got out.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said it was "utterly appalling".

"It just beggars belief that a seven and a 12-year-old could do this," he said.

Alasdair Ross, borough councillor for the area, said the boys' alleged age was "shocking"

Suffolk Police said the boys drove the five-door Mazda 5 Takara towards Rushmere Road.

The woman was physically unharmed but "shaken", the force said.

Labour councillor Alasdair Ross, who represents Rushmere, said the alleged age of the suspects was "shocking".

He said: "It's very distressing that two young people have access to a knife and they want to rob someone of their car, it's very worrying."

The older suspect is thought to have been the one who threatened the woman with the knife.

He is described as being of small build and was wearing a multi-coloured T-shirt and blue shorts. The younger boy is of a "stockier build" and was wearing a blue buttoned-up shirt and dark-coloured shorts.

Officers later recovered the vehicle.

In April, a 16-year-old was arrested in connection with an attempted carjacking in Coventry.

A 13-year-old boy was one of 20 people arrested over carjackings in Birmingham in 2017.