The Commission on Young Lives said the system was taking teens into care to safeguard them from county lines and exploitation ？ only to put them at risk of more serious harm. Chairwoman Anne Longfield said: "A children's social care system that is supposed to protect vulnerable teenagers is frequently putting them in even greater danger.

       "Often, we may as well be handing over children directly to ruthless gangs." The Commission said in its report that support was "infuriatingly inadequate" and designed for younger children.

       Some who go into care are "more likely to experience instability through multiple placement moves and changes in social worker". In some cases they are moved into "completely unsuitable" accommodation.

       Investigators found many teenagers in crisis were sent from their local area - sometimes to districts of high crime.

       Gangs have even been tipped off from within local authorities to those moved into unregulated accommodation, it said.

       The report blamed a failure to identify children at risk, a broken children's home market and cuts to funding.

       In March 2021, there were 80,850 children in care in England.

       The Commission calls for a ministerial task force and the financing of new local community children's homes.

       The Department for Education said it was providing support backed by ￡45million and raising places in care homes with ￡259million "to prevent young people becoming involved in criminal activity".

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