The West Herts Advertiser, reporting the murder of Janet Oven, also reported on ‘Juvenile crime at St Albans’. Outlining a case which today would merit nothing more than a police caution, it describes the activities of ‘three St Albans lads’, one aged 11, and two aged 12, who appeared before the magistrate, the Earl of Verulam.

Two were charged with stealing a watch. One was put on probation, and the case against the other was adjourned pending enquiries to try and get him to attend an ‘Industrial School’. The third was charged with breaking into the house of a woman and stealing chocolates and cake, and an airgun; and breaking into a school, from which he stole three thermometers. He had smashed two and thrown the other away. His father said he ‘could not imagine what had possessed the lad of late’. He had been reading penny novelettes and supposed that had something to do with his conduct. The boy was sentenced to six strokes of the birch and put on probation. One wonders if he re-offended.

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