Number of missing vulnerable children soars as safeguarding is cut during pandemic

Government move to reduce protection sees unaccompanied youngsters targeted by traffickers and criminalsTrafficked and unaccompanied children are going missing in “significant” numbers from the UK’s care system following a government move to dramatically reduce protection for youngsters, the Observer can reveal. Three charities have documented an “alarming” series of cases since the beginning of lockdown and following legislation introduced in April that stripp