ARRESTS of girls by Cambridgeshire Police have fallen by 54 per cent in three years, figures revealed today.

Cambridgeshire officers made 423 arrests of girls aged 17 and younger during 2011 – a significant drop compared to 2008, when 910 arrests were recorded.

It comes after the Howard League for Penal Reform launched a campaign aimed at keeping as many children as possible out of the criminal justice system.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is encouraging to see that Cambridgeshire Police are making fewer arrests of girls than they were in 2008, thanks in part to our effective campaigning.

“A significant fall in the number of children entering the justice system is good news for everyone striving to reduce crime and saves the taxpayer untold millions.

“Our evidence shows that the police were arresting girls completely unnecessarily when they were out partying, often with the mistaken intention of protecting them.

“Now the police are handing out flip-flops and helping the girls home, a much more sensible response.”

Across England and Wales, police arrest almost 100 girls a day, although the overall number has almost halved in three years.