Officers also have to search for these children, who often abscond from care homes on Friday or Saturday nights when heavy pressure is on the force to police busy streets in town.

These incidents have been revealed by Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand, who said that police should not have to search for children absconding regularly from homes at weekends when those officers are needed to keep the town’s streets safe.

The minister said that, in some cases, the children phoned Police Headquarters to say they were ‘missing’ and then asked for a lift back to the home. Under the current law, the officers have to oblige.

• See today’s JEP for the full story