NSPCC Scotland has revealed calls to its helpline for adults concerned about a child rose by 30 per cent last year, with a 44.5 per cent increase in referrals made to social work services or police in Scotland.

Of 1,920 contacts from people in Scotland around 60 per cent were sufficiently serious to merit a referral to police or social services. The statistics, released this week, also reveal that 50 per cent of Scottish callers in 2012/13 had waited over a month to report their concerns.