Police arrested children 76 times a week in Derbyshire

According to the Howard League for Penal Reform officers made 3,938 arrests of boys and girls aged 17 and under during 2011.

However the numbers have fallen by 30 per cent since 2008, when 5,608 were recorded.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the charity, which campaigns to reduce the number of child arrests, said: “Children who get into trouble are more often than not just being challenging teenagers. How we respond to this behaviour could make a difference for the rest of their lives.”