40pc rise in child abuse rehabilitation seekers

The number of people seeking help to stop viewing child abuse images has risen by 40 per cent, figures suggest.

Data from the Stop it Now! campaign, run by child protection charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, showed 36,443 people contacted the scheme in 2017 – up from 26,089 in the previous 12 months.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, said: “Police forces are arresting more offenders and protecting more children than ever before … However child sexual abuse cannot be countered by enforcement alone. Schools and parents to educate children to ensure they stay safe.”