A SCOTTISH charity has backed plans by English ministers to offer more support to runaway kids.

Aberlour, which runs Scotland's only refuge at a secret location in Glasgow, has backed plans for a national network for children sleeping rough.

Last year, Aberlour launched a campaign to raise £1million to safeguard its Glasgow refuge.

The Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways found most local authorities fail to provide enough support, and that one in nine Scots kids run away before they are 16.

There are only nine refuge places in the UK but 86,000 runaway kids.

Bryan Evans, chair of the Scottish Coalition, said: "Aberlour is encouraged to see the English government recognise this as a national problem.

"We hope a national working group in Scotland will plan future services to ensure adequate measures are in place to protect and support every runaway under 16."