THE number of youngsters running away from local authority care in Lancashire has been slashed thanks to an initiative to keep kids off the streets.

Some 210,000 missing persons are reported to UK police each year. Almost 100,000 can be accounted for by young people fleeing from care.

Children missing from home, even for a short while, often fall risk to sexual exploitation, substance abuse and criminal activity.

But a conference staged yesterday heard how a new pilot scheme had reduced runaways from council care by two-thirds.

The Children's Rights project, run by the Children's Society, is working closely with three residential units and fostered young people.

Pauline Geraghty, project manager, said: "There is still a lot to do to make Lancashire a safe place for young runaways. This conference has highlighted the need for agencies to come together and provide the same support for children running away from home."

The conference was the second organised by the Lancashire Young Runaways Project since its April launch last year. The steering group is made up of representatives from Lancashire County Council social services, education and youth offending team; the Children's Society; Lancashire Police; Connexions; Barnardos, and the Foxton Centre, in Preston.