THE number of children arrested in Wiltshire has dropped by two thirds over the last seven years.

Prison charity The Howard League conducted freedom of information requests which showed arrests by Wiltshire Police included 778 children in 2017, this was a 18 per cent decrease on 2016, and 66 per cent fewer than in 2010.

Arrests of primary school-age children have also been reduced – there were 616 arrests of 10- and 11-year-olds in 2017, 12 per cent fewer than in the previous year.

But the charity warned there is still progress to be made to stop children ending up in the cells.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League, said: "This 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.

"Police forces across England and Wales have adopted a positive approach that will make our communities safer, and the Howard League is proud to have played its part in that transformation.

"We have come a long way, but there is still more work to do.

"We have 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."