Numbers of under-18s in custody have fallen to a new low, but black and ethnic minority young people now make up four out of every 10 of those detained, latest figures reveal.

Ministry of Justice statistics published today show that 1,105 under-18s were being held in custody as of April 2014, a drop of 72 on the March figure of 1,177 - a 6.1 per cent drop in the space of a month.

The latest monthly figure is the lowest level since current recording methods began 14 years ago and represents a 63.3 per cent fall on the same month six years ago (April 2008), when there were 3,012 under-18s in custody.

But, despite the overall drop, the proportion of young people in custody who are from black or ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds is continuing to rise.

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