Arrests of children average six a day

The Howard League for Penal Reform said that 2,117 children aged 10 and 11 were detained in England and Wales in 2011. In three of the four forces across Yorkshire arrests are falling, except in North Yorkshire, which is the only force in the country where numbers are rising, according to the charity.

Police arrested a total of 209,450 under-18s last year, down from 315,923 in 2008, the charity said.

Around a fifth of the children held each year are girls.

Humberside Police arrested children 40 times a week on average last year, figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today.

New research by the charity shows officers made 2,067 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under during 2011. However, the figures represent a fall of 69 per cent since 2008, when 6,607 were recorded.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is very pleasing to see that Humberside Police is arresting fewer children than it has in the past. I hope this trend continues.”

South Yorkshire Police arrested children 98 times a week on average last year. The charity’s research shows officers made 5,094 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under during 2011.

The charity said the figures represent a fall of 43 per cent since 2008, when 8,974 were recorded.

West Yorkshire Police arrested children 203 times a week on average last year, with research by the charity showing officers made 10,600 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under during 2011.

However, the figures represent a fall of 44 per cent since 2008, when 19,706 were recorded.

Ten police services have seen the number of arrests more than halve between 2008 and 2011. They are Dorset, Humberside, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, West Mercia, West Midlands, Gloucestershire, North Wales, Lancashire and Warwickshire. Only one, North Yorkshire, recorded an increase.

The league has campaigned to reduce the number of child arrests on the grounds that they could lead to a criminal record for “being naughty”.

Ms Crook said: “Children who get into trouble are more often than not just being challenging teenagers and how we respond to this nuisance behaviour could make a difference for the rest of their lives.

“An arrest can blight a life and lead to a criminal record for just being naughty. The positive change in policing children will release resources to deal with real crimes.

“Only a handful of children are involved in more serious incidents and they usually suffer from neglect, abuse or mental health issues.

“A commitment to public safety means treating them as vulnerable children and making sure
they get the help they need to
mature into law-abiding
citizens.”

The figures come after a Freedom of Information request by the BBC revealed children as young as 11 had been detained in cells because officers thought they were mentally ill. There were 347 detentions of this kind under the Mental Health Act in England and Wales in 2011, and two forces had held a child for more than 24 hours.