A HARDLINE stance on people who harbour young runaways is being taken by police in Darlington in a bid to provide greater safety for children who go missing.

Durham Police have launched a pilot scheme in Darlington to which means anyone who knowingly keeps a child from their carer could be prosecuted.

The tougher stance is designed to crack down on friends and relatives who allow young runaways to stay with them without informing the authorities or the young person’s carer.

Under the new scheme, officers who suspect a person is allowing a missing young person to stay with them will be issued with a Child Abduction Warning Notice.

The letter warns that anyone who knowingly keeps a child from their carer or responsible adult could be prosecuted.

They are instructed not to contact the named young person, provide them with lodging, food or drink, or allow them to enter or stay in any vehicle they own.

Each notice is valid for 56 days and breaching any of the directions means the person served with the warning could be arrested under the Child Abduction Act 1984 or the Children’s Act of 1989.

Last year, there were 841 reports of missing persons aged 17 or under in County Durham, with 23 of these relating to a youngster aged under 12. People under 18 account for three in four of all missing person reports in the area.

Chief Insp Vicki Martin said: “Those reported missing very rarely sleep rough, they almost always head for somewhere that is familiar, whether it’s the home of a friend or a relative.

“But often they are putting themselves at greater risk by doing so, as they may be staying in a completely inappropriate environment.

“Even those who think of themselves as ‘streetwise’ are making themselves potentially more vulnerable, for example to substance or sexual abuse.

“If we know their whereabouts we can liaise with social services and other agencies to make more suitable arrangements for their long-term welfare.

“The people who harbour them may think they are doing these kids a favour, but the opposite is the case.”