Rotterdam police are under fire from legal experts after publishing a photograph on social media showing three children with their faces to the wall who had just been arrested for stealing a bike.

‘One aged 10, one 12 and one 15 picked up for bike theft,’ the Twitter caption published with the photo said.

A spokeswoman for the public prosecution department said the photo should not have been used. ‘We are always extremely careful with photographs of suspects, especially when they are minors,’ she said.

Lawyers pointed out that children under the age of 12 cannot be prosecuted in Dutch law. ‘It is a disgusting photograph,’ lawyer Rick Janse told the paper.

‘Shocking’ was the verdict of youth law specialist Reineir Feiner. ‘There is no reason to make someone stand facing the wall unless you want to take a photograph for Twitter.’

However, Rotterdam police communication chief Wim Hoonhout said there is nothing wrong with the photograph because the boys cannot be recognised. ‘It is about the message,’ he said.

Gisteren zijn een 10, 12 en 16 jarige uit rdam aangehouden tz fietsendiefstal #middeldijkerplein #Barendrecht. pic.twitter.com/9j1B97nU9D

— Remy Hartog (@POL_Hartog) October 31, 2016