Arrests of children in Devon and Cornwall have gone down by 79 in eight years according to research.

Data published by the Howard League for Penal Reform has revealed the information today.

Devon and Cornwall Police made 884 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under in 2018. This is down from 4,132 in 2010.

The figures for Devon and Cornwall are in line with national trends. Data from more than 40 police forces show that there were 70,078 arrests of children in 2018 – a reduction of more than 70 per cent from almost 250,000 in 2010.

In the period, the number of children in prison has been reduced by 63 per cent.

Arrests of primary school-aged children have been reduced significantly. There were 383 arrests of 10 and 11-year-olds in 2018, a reduction of 38 per cent from the previous year.

The Howard League works with police forces across the country to try and keep as many children out of the criminal justice system.

They say that each contact a child has with the system drags them deeper into it, leading to more crime.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Tens of thousands of children can look forward to a brighter future without their lives being blighted by police contact and a criminal record.

“Devon and Cornwall Police and other forces up and down the country have diverted resources to tackling serious crime instead of arresting naughty children. This will make communities safer, and the Howard League is proud to have played its part.

“Building on this success and reducing the number of arrests still further would allow even more children to thrive.”

The largest police force in the country, the Metropolitan Police, made 13,791 arrests of children in 2018. This was a 22 per cent reduction on the previous year, when 17,672 arrests were made, and a 70 per cent reduction on 2010, when there were 46,079.

Other forces to record significant reductions between 2017 and 2018 included Gwent (38 per cent), Bedfordshire (28 per cent), Cumbria (27 per cent), North Wales (24 per cent), Kent (23 per cent), Cleveland (19 per cent), West Mercia (19 per cent) and Durham (18 per cent).

Some police forces recorded an increase in arrests between 2017 and 2018. The Howard League is studying the figures and hopes to meet with these forces to explore how the number of arrests can be reduced in future.

Two police forces – City of London and South Yorkshire – were unable to provide arrest figures for 2018.

The statistics

Child arrests by Devon and Cornwall Police by year:

2010: 4,132

2011: 3,363

2012: 2,398

2013: 1,431

2014: 1,470

2015: 1,297

2016: 994

2017: 895

2018: 884