Watchdog exposes 'unacceptable' treatment of children in English court cells

Children with autism among those detained in England and Wales and left for hours in sometimes filthy cells

Children with Down's syndrome and autism were among those left for hours in court cells while they waited for legal representation or transport, a custody watchdog has revealed in a damning report.

The treatment of some young people, including those with disabilities, was labelled unacceptable and a matter of embarrassment" for the criminal justice system by the Lay Observers (LO), volunteers who inspect court custody conditions and transport arrangements for detainees in England and Wales.