Children under 13 should not be prosecuted for crimes of a sexual nature, MSPs were told yesterday.

Officials from children's charities and the Children's Commissioner warned that criminalising young children was not the answer to addressing disturbing behaviour.

Jan McClory, assistant director of Children 1st, and Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's commissioner for children and young people, said they were not in favour of pre-teens being charged with crimes under the proposed Sexual Offences Bill.

Children 1st, Barnardos, and Children in Scotland were giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament justice committee on the bill, which seeks to bring several different offences under one act.

Ms McClory told the committee: "If young people are unable to give consent, there is a contradiction that they can be charged. Under-13s are not capable of an offence of that nature. I think it is completely inappropriate for under-13s to be charged with sexual offences."

Ms Marshall had previously warned that the bill would criminalise 15-year-old girls for having sex.