The number of children that are being taken into care because of abuse or neglect is on the rise, figures have revealed.

A Freedom of Information request sent by the Enfield Independent to Enfield Borough Council revealed that 152 of the 298 cases since January 2013 were because of abuse of neglect at home.

The second most common reason for taking children into care was absent parenting, with 51 cases.

The statistics show that between January and August 2013, 54 children were taken into care by the council for abuse or neglect.

However, in the same time period for 2014, the number of children had increased by eleven to 65 and the number of cases is likely to surpass last year’s total of 87.

The local authority has coded eight different reasons for taking a child into care, which include child’s disability, abuse or neglect, parental illness or disability, family in acute stress, family dysfunction, socially unacceptable behaviour, low income, and absent parenting.

Similarly, the overall total of children being taken into care has also risen with 113 cases between January and August 2013, and 124 cases during the same time frame in 2014.

Teenagers at 17 and 16 years old were the most common age to be take into care at 56 and 55 children since January 2013.

Children under one were third highest with 44 cases.

The council also revealed that two children are currently subject to a child protection plan with obesity as a main factor. But the council stated no plan to initiate care proceedings had taken place.

Explaining the increase in children being taken in to care, a council spokesman said: "The Looked After Children population in Enfield fluctuates between 300 and 330 children and young people in care at any point in time.

"As the child population in the borough increases the number of children in care will also increase commensurately. At present approximately 40 children and young people are in care per 10,000 of the child population. This is line with regional and national averages.

"Last April the government introduced the LASPO Act, this law determined that any young person remanded to custody would have the status of being ‘in care’. If they stayed on remand for more than 13 weeks they would also acquire care leavers rights. This legislative change will account for the majority of the increase.

"The other main reason is the increase in the number of unaccompanied minors requesting asylum. The majority of these young people come from rural Albania citing ‘blood feuds’ as their main reason for fleeing Albania. This is consistent with the experience of other London boroughs."

Enfield Council’s cabinet member for education, children’s services and protection, Councillor Ayfer Orhan, said: “Around half of all children and young people who are in the care of the council are in the care of the council on a voluntary basis, usually due to severe difficulties in the family home.

“Where the council makes a decision to remove a child or young person from their family that decision to take a child or young person into care and separate them from their family is never an easy one and is only ever done when there is clear evidence a child or young person is at risk of harm, it is in the best interest of the child or young person and with the consent of the court."