SORRY letters are being used by police to resolve criminal matters involving youngsters – as part of an ongoing bid to reduce child arrest numbers.

Figures published by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal that arrests of children in Cumbria have fallen by 45 per cent in the space of four years.

Numbers provided by police show that in 2011, a total of 1,864 children were arrested in the county, a figure which has consistently dropped over the years down to 1,034 in 2015.

Every police force in England and Wales made fewer child arrests in 2015 than in 2010. Thirty-four forces brought down their number of child arrests by more than half, including 10 who achieved reductions of more than 70 per cent.

In Cumbria, the reduction in child arrests has been explained in part by police making use of what they described as "alternative methods to prosecution" such as encouraging youngsters to write letters of apology to their victims or to pay for any damage caused.

Chief Inspector Gordon Rutherford said: “We work hard to engage with young people and keep them out of the criminal justice system.

“Children are only arrested as a last resort as it is important that we educate and support them to prevent re-offending, as opposed to criminalising them at a young age unnecessarily. We operate a very successful youth triage scheme where every effort is made in conjunction with the youth offending service to divert the young person away from offending behaviour.

"We consult with victims and wherever possible we utilise alternative methods to prosecution, in order to meet the needs of the victim and to help young offenders understand the full consequences of their actions.

“A lot of work takes place in Cumbria to avoid arresting children unnecessarily. One of the methods commonly used is Community Resolution – this consists of an officer working with the offender and the victim to come up with a suitable agreed resolution, for example writing a letter of apology or paying for repairs.

"If this is the young person’s first arrest, or they have been reported by an officer, they can then be referred to triage which is a more in depth approach to restorative intervention and involves the child’s family.

“In the cases where an arrest is necessary and appropriate, young people are supported in custody and made aware of their rights and what will happen next. We are committed to working with the next generation to keep Cumbria one of the safest places to live and work.”