Vulnerable children are being placed in care facilities too far from home, leaving them more at risk of drug abuse, sexual exploitation and criminality charities warn.

Of the 64,000 children in England and Wales in local authority care, a third live outside of their local area. The charities claim the long-distance placements leave the children, who are already damaged and vulnerable, more traumatised.

Thousands of children are looked after in foster care or children's care homes, with some in facilities hundreds of miles from their home town. According to the charities, the shortage of local authority children's homes comes after a number of child abuse scandals during the 1970s and 1980s.

The charities, which include Banardo's, the Who Cares Trust and Voice say children in care are often already deeply damaged after suffering abuse, neglect or from growing up with addict parents, BBC News reports.

Although some private care homes are available, many are in rural locations because property is cheaper. Local authorities pay the private homes and are responsible for the children, but the distance makes it difficult for those in social work jobs to maintain contact with the child.

From April, the government is to enforce a "sufficiency duty" on local authorities which will force councils to have sufficient accommodation for the children in their care.