Figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform following a Freedom of Information request show that 53,000 children aged under 16 were detained in police cells in 2008 and 2009, of which 11,500 were aged between 10 and 13.
The true figures could be far higher as only half of police forces contacted throughout England supplied figures.
A report by the Howard League on the issue calls for a ban on the practice, recommending that the age of criminal responsibility be raised in line with European standards to 14 years to stem the flow of children into police custody.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "I was horrified to discover how prevalent the practice of holding young children in police cells for one or even several nights across the country.
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