CHILD arrest numbers fell to their lowest in seven years in 2017.

Wiltshire Police figures, obtained by prison campaign group the Howard League for Penal Reform, shows 778 children were arrested across the county last year. It was down from 2,262 in 2010.

The Howard League claims the drop shows the success of work with police forces across England and Wales, aimed at keeping children out of the criminal justice system.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the charity, said: “This is the seventh year in a row that we have seen a significant reduction in the number of child arrests across England and Wales, and Wiltshire Police’s positive approach has contributed to that transformation.

“It is a phenomenal achievement by the police and the Howard League, and it means that tens of thousands of children will have a brighter future without their life chances being blighted by unnecessary police contact and criminal records.

“We have come a long way, but there is still more work to do. The Howard League has launched a programme to end the criminalisation of children in residential care, and our research also highlights the need for better understanding of child criminal exploitation. Children who have been trafficked to commit crime should be seen as victims first and foremost.”