Reports of children being emotionally abused in the South West has increased by almost a third, according to new figures released by the NSPCC.

The charity’s annual child protection report, ‘How Safe Are Our Children’, found that adults in the region contacting the NSPCC Helpline, concerned about children being subjected to emotional abuse, has risen from 659 in 2015/16 to 854 in 2016/17 – a leap of 30 per cent.

UK-wide the figures are up 200 per cent between 2009/10 and 2016/17, rising from 3,341 to a massive 10,009 - the equivalent to 27 a day.

However, the charity fears that the full scale of the problem could be much greater and is demanding that the Government commissions a nationwide study that looks at the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in the UK.

Helpline staff are hearing accounts of parents telling their children they hate them or wished they were dead, threatening them with extreme violence and blaming them for issues they are facing themselves such as unemployment or financial problems.

Of the 854 helpline contacts last year from people living in South West England, 76 per cent were deemed so severe they were referred to the police and/or children’s services.

The previous year had seen 79 per cent of contacts referred on.

Despite a huge increase in the amount of people reporting emotional abuse to the NSPCC Helpline, the charity says it is unclear how many more children in the UK are suffering from emotional abuse, or any other form of maltreatment, because of a lack of research in to the extent of abuse. The last study of this kind took place in 2009.

The NSPCC say ongoing emotional abuse can make children feel worthless and unloved and can have a profound effect on a child’s development, which can lead to issues in later life, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance misuse and suicidal feelings.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive said: “Hearing reports from our helpline about parents or carers who are consistently verbally assaulting, bullying, isolating or humiliating their children is devastating.

“The huge increase in people recognising and reporting emotional abuse to our helpline indicates people are willing to take action, but the disturbing truth is that the UK has no idea how many other children are suffering from emotional abuse or in fact, any type of abuse.

“We urgently need Government to step in now, before another eight years go by, and commission a study that gives us the clearest possible picture of the extent of child abuse and neglect in the UK.”

Any adult worried about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.