THE number of children arrested in Hampshire has more than halved in seven years.

Prison reform charity the Howard League has hailed the seventh consecutive year in which arrests of children have dropped across the country, but warned that there is still more work to do.

A Freedom of Information request by the charity to Hampshire Constabulary shows that 3,960 children were arrested in the area in 2017.

While this represents a small increase, of 131%, on 2016, it is 52% less than in 2010.

In 2016, Hampshire police provided data for the number of children arrested, not the number of arrests.

Across England and Wales, 79,000 children were arrested last year – 68% less than the 246,000 arrested in 2010.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “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. 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.”

The Howard League’s report shows that across England and Wales 12,495 arrests of girls were recorded in 2017. Arrests of girls have reduced at a faster rate than arrests of boys since 2010.

Hampshire chief constable and National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for children and young people, Olivia Pinkney, said: “While there will always be situations in which arrest is the best option to keep the public safe, police forces are continuing to work to decrease this wherever possible.

“We are increasingly working with other agencies to ensure that vulnerable children being exploited receive the right support and are treated as victims, not criminals.”