THE number of child cruelty and neglect reports to Wiltshire Police doubled in five years, figures show.

The NSPCC, which obtained the new statistics under freedom of information rules, said the numbers painted a heart-breaking picture of children exposed to suffering during the first lockdown.

Det Supt Ben Mant, Wiltshire Police’s domestic abuse lead, said it was a sad reality that children suffered neglect from those who should nurture them.

In 2014/15, police in the county received 25 reports of child cruelty and neglect. In 2019/20 – which includes the early part of the first coronavirus lockdown – the figure was 58.

The increase – 132 per cent – was more than double the England average of a 53 per cent rise in reported cruelty between 2014/15 and 2019/20.

The NSPCC said that during the spring lockdown, an average of 50 children a day turned to Childline after suffering abuse, with counselling sessions about this issue increasing by 22 per cent compared with pre-lockdown levels.

Chief executive Peter Wanless said: “The pandemic is the greatest challenge we’ve faced in decades and these figures are yet another example of its impact on vulnerable children. They also provide a heart-breaking picture of the concern about the number of young people who were exposed to pain and suffering following the start of the pandemic.”

Responding to the figures, Wiltshire Police’s Det Supt Ben Mant said: “A lot of effort has been put in by Wiltshire Police to not only highlight the signs of child abuse and neglect that the public can identify, but also signposting people to where they can report their concerns, whether these be to ourselves via our 101 number or to our partner services.

“It is a sad reality that children in our community suffer from neglect and abuse daily from those who should be there to care and nurture them.

“We’d continue to encourage people who have any concerns that a child is suffering from abuse to look for the signs and to speak up and contact us on 101 or charities like the NSPCC.

“It is the responsibility of all of us to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

Last month, magistrates heard the shocking case of a West Swindon family who were living in a home littered with animal faeces and urine.

Police had been called to the house on Boxing Day 2019 following reports of a disturbance at the house.

One of the officers who responded to the call said conditions inside the house, where rubbish was piled high, were among the worst she had experienced in 17 years on the job.