42 Child Arrests Every Day In The North East

3 December 2012, 05:45 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

More than 40 children under the age of 18 were arrested in the North East every day in 2011.

New figures from The Howard League for Penal Reform show across the UK there have been more than one million child arrests since 2008.

There has been a drop in the number of arrests though - with a total of 15,489 in the North East in 2011 compared to 25,936 in the region in 2008.

Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, 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."