A REDUCTION in the number of children arrested by North Yorkshire Police has been welcomed by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Julia Mulligan.

In a report this week, the Howard League for Penal Reform showed the force made 1,034 arrests of children aged 17 or under last year, compared to 4,525 in 2010 - a drop of 77 per cent.

Mrs Mulligan said "positive efforts" were being made to bring the numbers down, while projects such as the nationally-recognised ‘No Wrong Door’ scheme had changed the way some of the most vulnerable children are looked after, having a positive impact on futures.

“There is always more to do, and not just for children. We need to keep as many people as possible from inappropriately entering the criminal justice system, especially vulnerable groups such as female offenders," she added.

Mrs Mulligan said she was currently working as part of a review “examining the importance of families in reducing reoffending and inter-generational crime”.

She said: “This will make recommendations on changes to make a step change in the way women in the criminal justice system are dealt with to ultimately reduce crime and improve their and their children’s life chances.”