ALMOST 10,000 children were arrested by Lancashire police last year, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Campaigners for the Howard League for Penal Reform, which uncovered the findings, said children are entering the criminal justice system too young.

In the past three years, more than 30,000 youngsters aged 10-17 were arrested, more than 3,000 of those were aged under 14.

It is equivalent to 28 a day with only five other forces arresting more last year than Lancashire.

A force spokesman said the figures reflected the force’s size and that numbers were reducing due to alternatives such as restorative justice.