Calls to the NSPCC helpline reporting suspected child abuse and neglect have rocketed to 81 per cent, according to new figures from the charity.
The helpline, which takes calls and emails from adults in Leicestershire who are worried about children, received a total of 60 contacts in December 2015.
This is up 81 per cent from the total of 33 in December 2011.
The most common issue in Leicestershire was neglect, with 23 calls.
Across the country, the helpline received 3,750 contacts in December 2015. The number is up by a third over four years, showing that while December is a wonderful month for many, for some it is a time of heightened risk and increased vulnerability.
Of the 3,750 contacts, 30 per cent were from people reporting cases of neglect, reaching 1,129 – a 60 per cent rise since 2011.
And reports of sexual abuse had risen 54 per cent from four years ago, to 580.
