NORTH Yorkshire has bucked the national trend in the numbers of children placed for adoption.

Official Government figures show that the number of children granted an adoption placement order nationally has fallen by 24 per cent in a year, despite an increase in those taken into care.

However in North Yorkshire the figures show that the number of adoptions has more than doubled from 21 to 50 over the past four years.

At the same time the county has also seen its numbers of children and young people in care reduced to 445 in 2015 from 490 in 2013.

The county’s executive member for children’s services, Cllr Janet Sanderson said: “In North Yorkshire we remain absolutely committed to ensuring that young people have access to a happy family life.

“Ideally that should always be with their own or extended family but when that is not possible we will find alternative families in foster or adoptive care.

"These figures endorse our important and impressive progress in this quest.”

She added: “Many children in care have experienced abuse and neglect and it is therefore crucial that we meet their needs in a full and timely way.”