No. In the UK, it should be illegal for 16 year olds to get their hands on anything more than a dull crayon.
Will they be allowed hand saws? Hammers? Chefs knives? Dremels?
Besides, 16 is old enough to drive and hold a job in lots of places.
When it comes to employers, City and Guilds NPTC and Lantra chainsaw courses are only offered to people at the Minimum School Leaving Age and above. Since employers are not permitted under HSE regulations to let untrained people operate chainsaws, and since the training is not instant, this effectively bars 16-year-olds from getting chainsaws from their employers.
Chainsaws like that cannot be handled by a random 16 boy, unless he is the son of Hulk or Thor. Perhaps the kid texted to a friend "we cut the treeeeee" or similar.. I would be VERY surprised to finally see proven that a 16yo did this.
Side note: I have used a chainsaw numerous times in my late teens cutting down branches for a fireplace. I could never manage to cut the tree trunk pieces, even on a chopped down tree. Branches (20cm diameter or less) were easy peasy. But a 60? 70cm diameter? Nah...
Most of the problem is dealing with the physics of keeping the chainsaw from binding which requires experience (or dumb luck) more than strength.
