Arrests of children down by two-thirds

Arrests of children by South Yorkshire Police have fallen by 63 per cent in the last four years, according to data obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Research by the charity has found that the number of arrests in South Yorkshire dropped from 6,235 in 2010 to 2,285 in 2014.

The Howard League said the figures confirmed the continued success of a programme of work to keep as many children as possible out of the criminal justice system.

Several police services have reviewed their arrest procedures and policies as a result of the Howard League's engagement with them.

Every police service in England and Wales made fewer arrests in 2014 than in 2010, with some constabularies reducing their numbers by more than 70 per cent.

The sharp reduction in arrests has led to a significant fall in the number of children in prison - down by 56 per cent since January 2010.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “We have worked closely with police forces round the country to stem the flow of children being sucked into the criminal justice system.

“The fantastic success of our programme of work and the police improvement to their practices means that thousands of children have not had their life chances blighted.

“It is for parents and schools to deal with normal childish challenging behaviour, not the police.

“It is to the credit of the police that they have introduced restorative approaches and given frontline officers discretion to make professional decisions.”