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A charity is taking the Town Hall to court on behalf of a 14-year-old boy repeatedly held overnight in police cells.

Just For Kids Law claims Islington Council consistently fails to provide safer alternative accommodation for children who have been denied bail.


The charity, which campaigns for youth justice reform, is bringing a judicial review challenge against the council after finding it did not provide a bedsit for a child in custody on 94 occasions last year.

Shauneen Lambe, the charity’s executive director, said: “Of the London boroughs who have provided us with information Islington is one of the worst.

“We’re trying to make this an example of what should not be happening. It’s a test case of something that happens repeatedly but is actually against a government warning to all local authorities saying they must take children out of police cells.”

The case is being brought on behalf of the 14-year-old, who is from Islington but has not been identified.

He was held three times in March and on other occasions when he spent two nights in a row in a cell. He has since been charged with non-violent offences.

Local authorities have a duty to provide alternative accommodation to cells for juvenile offenders, as Theresa May, then home secretary, reminded them in a letter last year.

Just For Kids Law claims the council’s children’s services team at one stage proposed removing the teenager to secure accommodation in Northumberland or South­ampton because it had no beds available locally.

Islington Council declined to comment on the case while legal proceedings are continuing.

Ms Lambe added: “Children should not be kept in cells other than as a last resort. From the young people we spoke to as part of our research we know it can be an incredibly traumatic and distressing experience.

“I understand there’s a housing crisis but it’s simply a bed for a night. It’s never more than that, before they appear in court and then usually they are bailed.”

Just For Kids Law is running a campaign called No Child in Cells, which aims to prevent children being held in police cells at any time.

In a statement, the Met said: “While we recognise police custody can be a daunting and intimidating experience for children, custody suites are designed to provide a safe and secure environment for detainees.

“Our suites are regularly inspected by Her Majesty’s inspectorates of constabularies and prisons.

“We are working with others to reduce the number of children detained in police custody over­night.”