THOUSANDS of runaway children in the region are at risk on the streets because councils are failing to provide help, a report has revealed.

A survey by The Children's Society released today has found that many local authorities do not have policies in place to protect youngsters on the run.

More than 5,000 young people go missing from home in the region each year, some as young as 11, according to statistics gathered by the charity.

It has also been revealed that many of the region's runaways find themselves drawn into paedophile rings or prostitution after being taken in by strangers.

A year after the Government issued guidelines to local authorities on how to deal with the issue, many have failed to act on the proposals, the charity said.

The Children's Society has launched its Safe and Sound campaign to call for a national network of emergency accommodation and local services to help runaways at risk.

Of 150 councils contacted by the charity across England, only 60 per cent responded and half of those refused to take part or were unable to answer.

They were asked if they had fulfilled Department of Health guidelines to set up inter-agency protocols for missing children and appoint a runaways manager to monitor the system.

Kim McMasters, the charity's acting social work manager for the North-East, said: "In the Newcastle area, we have found youngsters as young as 11 who have runaway.

"I know that young people who run away can often gravitate towards places they can stay, often in risky areas.

"They can get involved in paedophile rings. That can lead to prostitution or abuse."

According to estimates based on local population figures and national statistics, 1,927 youngsters go missing from home in Tyneside and Wearside each year.

In Cleveland, 1,086 young people are on the run, compared with 1,050 in County Durham and 1,150 in North Yorkshire.

The report found that only 14 per cent of councils that responded had implemented all the Government recommendations. Newcastle City Council is one of the few local authorities that have made the changes.

A spokeswoman said: "We already have protocols in place.

"We work with voluntary organisations all the time, and the health services and police as a partnership.

"We also have a children's listening officer who works for the children. His remit is to speak to children about any problems."

InLine, an organisation that supports homeless 16 to 19-year-olds in Newcastle, is developing a missing-from-home scheme with Northumbria Police to reduce the number of repeat runaways and to discover the reasons why a child has left home.