ARRESTS of children by Surrey Police have fallen by 55 per cent in the last six years, figures published by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal.

Research by the charity found that the force made 889 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year, down from 1,955 in 2010.

Across England and Wales, the total number of arrests has fallen by 64 per cent in six years, from almost 250,000 in 2010 to 87,525 in 2016.

The charity said the reduction underlined the success of its major programme, which involves working with police forces to keep as many boys and girls as possible out of the criminal justice system.

The total number of arrests has fallen every year in England and Wales, since the Howard League campaign began in 2010. It is based on academic research that has shown the more contact a child has with the system, the more entrenched he or she is likely to become, which increases reoffending rates.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “For the sixth year running, we have seen a significant reduction in child arrests across the country. This is a tremendous achievement, and we will continue to support police forces to develop their good practice and reduce the number to an absolute minimum.

“Surrey Police should be applauded for their positive approach, and the Howard League is proud to have played its part in a transformation that will make our communities safer.

“By working together, we are ensuring that tens of thousands of children will have a brighter future and not be dragged into a downward spiral of crime and custody.”

Nationwide, there were 703 arrests of 10 and 11 year olds in 2016, a reduction of 18 per cent from the previous year. The statistics have been published in a Howard League briefing, ‘Child arrests in England and Wales 2016’, which shows that reducing the number of children entering the system has stemmed the flow of children into custody.

Between 2010 and 2016, the number of children in prison in England and Wales fell by 58 per cent.

As in 2015, arrests of girls are falling at a faster rate than arrests of boys. Police recorded a 69 per cent drop in girls’ arrests between 2010 and 2016, and the number of girls in penal custody fell by 78 per cent during the same period.

The briefing states that the positive trend across police forces has been led at a national level, most notably by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which has prioritised improvements in the policing of children.

The Howard League regularly meets and corresponds with forces and shares examples of good practice in local areas.

Surrey Police has given training to all custody and frontline staff, focusing on the need to reduce the number of children arrested.

The force also ran an internal communications campaign to encourage people to see the “child first and the offence second”.

Child arrest figures for Surrey Police:

2010: 1,955

2011: 1,974

2012: 1,483

2013: 1,524

2014: 1,624

2015: 1,338

2016: 889