Hundreds of child abuse calls referred on to police

A child abuse helpline referred more than 250 calls to police in Scotland over the past year.

NSPCC Scotland revealed 265 cases were passed on to authorities in 2016-17, up from 187 in the previous year.

There were also a further 167 contacts where helpline staff gave advice about sexual abuse against young people. The figures form part of 4,677 referrals made Uk-wide last year, up from 3,578 in 2015-16.

Thecharityhaslaunched a Light Up Christmas for Children appeal to help vulnerable young people over the festive period.

John Cameron, head of helplines at the NSPCC, said: “It is deeply worrying that so many children are potentially being exposed to such a devastating experience.”