Lone child refugees housed in hotels go missing at rate of one a week amid migrant crisis

A lone child refugee goes missing from unregulated government hotels every week on average, according to an investigation.

Vulnerable children who have crossed the channel are feared to be facing abuse and exploitation after arriving in the UK.

Campaigners feel children are often being left in "inappropriate" accommodation, lacking in care or protection.

It has emerged in the investigation that 20 children went missing in five months, with half still unaccounted for.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper described the figures as "disturbing", warning young children "may be back in the hands of the traffickers".

The Labour MP called for "urgent action" in order to provide further support for vulnerable children.

After Kent County Council began refusing to take more children in, due to being at "breaking point," the Home Office began placing vulnerable youngsters into unregulated accommodation on July 20 last year.

Information gathered as part of the investigation finds that hundreds of children are housed across five hotels in the south of England.

Dozens of the children put in accommodation since July have been below the age of 14, with a small number under the age of 10.

Data gathered by The Independent via freedom of information (FOI) laws reveals 16 minors have gone missing from these hotels between 20 July and 25 November, a rate of once per week.

Seven of the 16 have been found since, leaving nine unaccounted for.

Further figures disclosed by Kent Police and Sussex Police - the areas where these hotels are located, reveal a further four reports of children going missing between 25 November and 20 December. Two in each region, three have since been found.

Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said: "After surviving unimaginable dangers to journey here, these children should finally have felt safe and protected. Instead, Priti Patel, the home secretary, has ignored all warnings that these hotels were inappropriate for children and must now take action to find these missing children before it’s too late".

The information comes as Ofsted described the housing of unaccompanied asylum seeking children in hotels as "unacceptable".

The organisation added that they were "concerned" by their use.

The Home Office has said in response to the data unravelled by the investigation: "These are very vulnerable and traumatised children who have already faced terrible experiences and are at risk of neglect or at worse exploitation unless all steps are taken to make sure they are kept safe".

They insist that the hotels are a "temporary measure" and children using them as accommodation are receiving frequent forms of support, such as "dedicated care workers 24/7".

The Independent reports that Brighton and Hove Council and Kent County Council have attributed blame to the Home Office. The Home Office on the other hand, say the local authorities in which the hotels are placed burden responsibility.

Yvette Cooper described the lack of certainty over who takes responsibility as "completely reprehensible".

A Kent County Council spokesperson says the authority follows the "missing children" protocols when unaccompanied minors are reported missing.

The protocol is said to involve the police and the Home Office.

A Brighton and Hove Council spokesperson said the body follows "established safeguarding processes" when confronted with the issue of missing children.

A government spokesperson said it took the issue of any missing child "extremely seriously," and they work with local authorities in order to make sure any vulnerable minor is “supported appropriately”.