THE number of child arrests made by Greater Manchester Police has fallen by 66 per cent in five years.

Research by the Howard League for Penal Reform found that the force made 3,714 arrests of children aged 17 and under last year, down from 10,903 in 2011.

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 that the figures underlined the success of one of its major programmes, 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 since the campaign began.

In 2012 there were 7,807 child arrests made by GMP, 6,144 in 2013 and 5,969 in 2014.

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.

“Greater Manchester 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.”

Every police force in England and Wales made fewer child arrests in 2016 than in 2010 and all but four forces brought down their number of arrests by more than half.

The reduction of child crime has also seen a fall in the number of children in prison.

The work has come alongside 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.

Nationwide, there were 703 arrests of primary-age children (10- and 11-year-olds) in 2016, a reduction of 18 per cent from the previous year.

The work of three forces nationally has been highlighted, including Durham, where the chief constable has met with each of his officers individually to impress upon them a problem-solving approach rather than a reliance on arrests.

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'.

Thames Valley Police, like many forces, now has a system in place so that an inspector reviews every child arrest.

The charity added that child arrests remain too common and a child was arrested every six minutes in England and Wales in 2016.