MORE than 70 children in care went missing last year, new figures show.

A Freedom of Information Act request by The Mail asked for the number of children in care who were reported missing in the last five years.

In 2017/2018 a total of 71 children in care went missing.

Of these, none were aged under 10, 44 were aged 10-16 and 27 were aged 16 and over.

In 2016/2017 49 children in care aged 10-16 were reported missing and 31 were aged 16 and over.

In 2015/2016 31 children in care aged 10-16 went missing and 36 aged 16 and over were reported missing.

Further breakdown of numbers, including those aged under 10 in previous years who had been reported missing, were not given due to the council's obligation to prevent identification of the children concerned.