It also emerged that more than 40% of hearings before a panel in the city involves a child classed as a “persistent young offender.”

“Every young person deserves the best possible care and attention,” said children’s minister Adam Ingram. “Fortunately there are safety nets out there to catch those young people who might be at risk or need a bit more support — like the hearings system.”

The system was thrust into the spotlight this year by the referral of two children accused of being involved in torturing animals at Camperdown Wildlife Park.

No charges relating to animal welfare were pursued because of “insufficient evidence”, although welfare concerns were raised at separate hearings in the city.

According to today’s report — which covers a period prior to the Camperdown cases — almost 1200 children were referred in Dundee, of which 592 were on offence grounds.

That figure represents 4.7% of the city’s population under 16 — a rate of youth offending topped in Scotland only by Glasgow.

Dundee also recorded the third-highest rate north of the border of children (2.1%) who are the subject of supervision requirements.

However, the number of under-16s classed as persistent young offenders in the city was down 16% in 2006/07 to 67, a trend attributed to a strategy of prevention, diversion and intensive responses to persistent and serious offending.

After the incident at Camperdown, concerns were raised about the closed-doors nature of the hearings system and the fact outcomes were not widely known.

The report noted that progress was being made in providing the victims of a youth crime with more information.

“During 2006/07, SCRA implemented its Victim Information Service,” it stated. “The aim of the service is to provide victims of youth crime with information regarding the outcome of their cases.

“Supported by additional funding to SCRA from the Scottish Government, Phase One of the service started in February 2006 and covers the police force areas of Tayside, Grampian, Fife and Dumfries and Galloway.

“The second phase of the service will extend to the rest of Scotland and is dependent on securing additional resources.”

The report noted there were 35 persistent young offenders in Angus, compared with 44 the year before. In Perth and Kinross there were 25 (down from 28).

But there was a sharp rise in serial offenders in Fife, from 78 in 2005/06 to 112 last year.

The number of hearings rose 20% in Angus, 24% in Perth and Kinross and 9% in Fife.

SCRA’s Annual Report, published today, shows the highest number of Scottish children (56,199) being referred to the Reporter since records began — which equates to 154 children a day — and a 4% increase on the previous year.

This increase is solely due to a rise in the number of children being referred on “care and protection” grounds, which includes instances where children are alleged to be victims of cruelty, sexual offences, domestic abuse and neglect.

In 2006/07, 44,629 children were referred to the Reporter on this basis — a rise of 9% when compared to 2005/06.

In contrast, the number of children referred to the Reporter for allegedly committing an offence fell 7% over the same period (down from 17,641 in 2005/06 to 16,490 in 2006/07).