Daily roundup 7 January: Police cells, illegal children's home, and self-esteem

Children were detained overnight in police cells in London 100 times every week last year, data has revealed. The London Evening Standard reports Scotland Yard recorded 3,005 cases of under-18s being held for at least four hours between midnight and 8am between November 2014 and May 2015.


A fine of £35,000 has been given to the owner of an illegal children’s home because of antisocial behaviour. The Guardian Series reports Hinal Patel, of Pembroke Road in Walthamstow and his company Kateya Solutions Ltd, received the fine at Waltham Forest Magistrates’ Court last month.


Children in Britain are having to deal with fears and worries that did not exist 30 years ago, the NSPCC’s confidential counselling service ChildLine has warned. The Guardian reports children’s confidence and self-esteem is being affected by modern pressures such as social media and cyberbullying, whereas the biggest concerns in 1986 were sexual and physical abuse, family problems and pregnancy.


A provider of behavioural care has been awarded a contract by Birmingham City Council to run five residential children’s homes. The Priory Group will take charge of the provision of 30 beds across five homes from April this year.


Plans to shorten the school summer break to create an extra week off later in the year are being considered by Brighton and Hove City Council. The Guardian reports that the council is concerned that low-income families cannot afford to take their children on holiday during the school holidays.  


A seven-year-old girl was found to have infected sores, head lice and smelled so bad the odour was described as “rotting meat”, a court has heard. The Southern Daily Echo reports Southampton Crown Court heard the alarm was raised in late 2013 when the girl moved schools.