A WARRINGTON MP has gained Parliamentary support for her campaign to protect runaway children.
Warrington South MP Helen Southworth took her campaign direct to the Prime Minister. She has secured a commitment that the Government will take action to improve support for vulnerable children and young people who 
run away or go missing from home or care.
The Government has agreed to make local authorities accountable for helping missing children and to ensure the police record proper information on missing children that can be shared between forces.
The MP’s 10-Minute Rule Bill, the Runaway and Missing Children Bill, recently had its second reading in the House of Commons.
It calls for immediate action requiring police and local authorities to work together to protect vulnerable children. The MP said that every year about 8,000 children are hurt while missing from home and 50 children die, yet police have more information about missing cars than about missing children.
Recently Mrs Southworth took her campaign to 10 Downing Street where she was joined by national children’s charities, Warrington-based Talk Don’t Walk, and children who have been helped by the charities, to launch the Young Runaways Action Plan.
Mrs Southworth said: “Every five minutes a child or young person goes missing in the UK. Most of them get home safely, but some are very seriously hurt, and some are targeted by predatory adults who do them terrible harm. The Children’s Society research shows that about 12,000 children every year are running away to escape abuse.
“But they are running from danger into danger. We have to make sure that any child who runs away or goes missing has a safe place to go and a safe adult to talk to. Now police and local authorities will have to work together to keep these children safe.”
Picture shows Helen Southworth with Secretary of State for Children Ed Balls, Pam Arnold from The Relationship Centre, David Johnston from Warrington Borough Council’s Children’s Services and Alison McCausland from Talk…don’t Walk. Picture: The Children’s Society.
