Three children aged between 11 and 12 have been arrested after allegedly stealing a car and driving erratically at high speed on the wrong side of the road, forcing other drivers off the road early Friday morning, NT Police said in a statement on Monday.

Police said the three children, aged 11, 12 and 12, smashed a glass window at a business in Woolner around 1:40am Friday, before stealing change and causing $30,000 worth of damage to the business.

They then attended a Winnellie business where police said they stole a Toyota Rav4 “and spent hours driving around Darwin”, including driving at high speed on the wrong side of the road.

“During this time multiple phone calls were made to police communications about the dangerous manner in which the RAV4 was allegedly being driven, including forcing other vehicles off the road and driving at high speed on the wrong side of the road,” said police media manager Rob Cross in a statement.

“Strike Force Trident and Dog Operations Unit then co-ordinated a response to the reports and with the assistance of information provided by the members of the public were able to locate the vehicle dumped in bushland off Vanderlin Drive.”

Police said the three youths were arrested after leaving the bushland and have been charged with “multiple property offences”.

Police did not say why they did not inform the public until Monday morning.

On Thursday, the Fyles Government introduced legislation to Parliament that would increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years to 12.