Once you are 10

Money

Most bank and building societies will let you open your own account.

Legal Issues

Ok this one is less what you can do but more what can happen to you.
Once you are ten you can be convicted of a criminal offence. This means you have full responsibility if you break the law.

Remember though, if you get held by the police you have the right to:

• Have someone informed you are being held. Under 16 the police have to try and inform your parents or guardian.
• Talk to a solicitor
• Have an ‘appropriate adult’ with you when you are interviewed. This is usually one of you parents

If the police are detaining you they have the right to do these things:

• Search you, including a strip search
• Give you a body search, you should ask for an appropriate adult to be there if they need to do this
• Take samples from your body like hair or saliva. They can also take more intimate samples like urine. They need your parents’ written consent to do this though.
• They also need you parents written consent to take your fingerprints