CHILDREN across Herefordshire and Worcestershire who run away from home are often forced to flee by poor family relationships.

New research by The Children's Society has shown children often leave home when relationships reach a crisis point at times of family change, such as a parental separation or divorce, or when a new adult joins a family.

Across the two counties, 650 children under the age of 16 from two-parent families will run away from home each year.

And 240 under-16s from single parent families, and 195 under-16s living in step-families, will run away or will be forced to leave home.