South Yorkshire Police called to children's home 253 times

8 July 2019, 11:40 | Updated: 8 July 2019, 11:43

New research has found police were called to children's homes in the UK nearly 23,000 times last year.

The Howard League for Penal Reform did the study and the charity is warning that children in residential care are in danger of being criminalised.

Responding to a Freedom of Information request South Yorkshire Police revealed it had been called to one particular children's home 253 times.

Humberside Police also said it had to attend one children's home 235 times.

Chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform Frances Crook, said: "These children need nurture and support, not repeated contact with the police and criminalisation.

"But our research shows that some children's homes are picking up the phone again and again over matters that would never involve the police if they happened in a family home."

The report by the charity also found almost half the calls to police from children's homes in 2018 were in response to children going missing