The number of young people in Hackney being arrested or convicted for the first time has increased – but less are being given custodial sentences.

In 2016/17 114 children entered the youth justice system, compared to 103 the year before. More teens aged 13 to 15 are being arrested as weapons offences and domestic issues spike, council papers show.

But overall Hackney has a low proportion of 10- to 18-year-olds in the system, and a low number of remands or custodial sentences. Less kids are reoffending too, falling from 75 to 68 over the same time period.

The use of custodial sentences – detention or jail – has decreased in 2016/17 with only 6.6 per cent of all sentences being custodial, compared to 10.3pc in 2015/16.

Hackney Council says this is because young people at risk of custody are given “robust community sentence proposals” and extended curfews. This has given the courts more confidence in the Hackney Youth Justice Service as an alternative.

At the end of March, 94.7pc of young offenders were attending and engaging in full time education, training or employment.