SEXUAL offences against children recorded in North Yorkshire have soared by more than 76 per cent over the past four years.

Data obtained by the NSPCC has revealed there were 1,103 sexual offences against children recorded by North Yorkshire Police in 2018/19, compared to 624 in 2014/15 - a rise of 76.7 per cent.

Across the UK, there were record numbers of sexual offences against under 18s recorded in 2018/19.

The NSPCC said children who have suffered sexual abuse will often need extensive support but overstretched services are failing to keep pace with demand, and the charity is calling for a radical reshaping of how support is delivered across the country.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, said: “Record numbers of child sexual offences means we are facing a nationwide crisis in the help available for tens of thousands of children.

“These children are bravely disclosing what happened to them but in too many cases there is not enough timely, joined up and child-friendly support. Instead they are shunted from overstretched service to service.

“We need a radical rethink in the way we help these young people, otherwise they could struggle for the rest of their lives with long term, deep seated trauma.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We share the NSPCC’s revulsion at any crime involving the abuse of children and would like to reassure the public that the protection of children remains a key priority for North Yorkshire Police.

“The force has invested heavily in this area of work with the introduction of dedicated online and exploitation abuse teams, a non-recent abuse investigation team and digital forensic teams. Part of our work includes monitoring offenders’ use of the internet, encouraging suspects to get help for their offending and extensive work with partner agencies and charities, including the NSPCC, to prevent and detect the abuse of children.”

The spokesperson said the force had recently been praised by the HMICRS - the national inspectorate - for the way it monitors and manages registered sex offenders and how it identifies and protects vulnerable people.

The spokesperson added: “While the number of offences appears to have increased significantly over the past four years as outlined by the NSPCC, it is recognised such offending was previously under reported and at times hidden. We strongly believe that this increase of reporting is down to more victims having the confidence to report offences and improved crime recording. It also reflects the proactive work we are doing to raise awareness about the issue of child abuse and promoting the help and support that is readily available to the victims and their loved ones.

“During the investigation of child abuse, referrals are made to both statutory and non-statutory partners so that each child receives the necessary support and care. We will continue our collective work to develop these services across the City of York and North Yorkshire.”

Sophie Wales, assistant director for children’s services at City of York Council, said: “Whilst it is heart-breaking that so many children have been suffering in this way, we are glad that more people feel able to report it so the right support can be offered.

“York’s nationally-acclaimed 'It’s Not OK' campaign, which has been running for the past few years and has involved partners including the NSPCC and North Yorkshire Police, has sent a clear message that sexual abuse of children is wrong and should be reported.

“Throughout the campaign we have made sure that the right support is there for children should they wish to make any disclosures and raise awareness of who they can speak to."

She said the council had established a new multi-agency safeguarding hub, which aimed to respond to and offer the right support in any reported cases, adding the council would "continue to work with our partners to tackle the abuse of children".

Elsewhere in Yorkshire, Humberside Police recorded 1,367 sexual offences against children in 2018/19, compared to 888 in 2014/15, a rise of 53.9 per cent

In West Yorkshire, the county’s police force recorded 4,891 offences in 2018/19, an increase of 115 per cent since 2014/15, when there were 2,271 offences.

Meanwhile, 2,033 offences were recorded by South Yorkshire Police in 2018/19, compared to 1,577 in 2014/15.

Across the UK in 2018/19 there were 76,204 recorded offences against children including rape, grooming and sexual assault - an average of one every seven minutes.

Where the age of victim was provided, 16,773 offences were recorded against children aged 10 and under, with 341 of the offences against babies under the age of one.

The NSPCC is now calling for the provision of specialised services around the country, with an emphasis on early joined up support from police, local NHS services, children’s services and advocacy for children who have experienced sexual abuse, offered in child-friendly spaces.