DORSET Police has pledged to tackle the horror of child sex abuse with more dedicated officers and awareness campaigns.

Officers have encouraged victims to come forward and have promised to keep those affected safe.

Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Dudfield, of Dorset Police’s Public Protection Unit, spoke out after shocking statistics revealed a 60 per cent increase in reported offences in the county.

He said: "We believe the ongoing rise in the recording of sexual offences against children in Dorset is due to a combination of factors.

"High profile national investigations continue to increase confidence in the police and have raised awareness. As a result more victims are coming forward to report such crimes.

"We are also putting a lot of effort into education and awareness campaigns encouraging victims and anyone with information about those types of offences to come forward."

He said Dorset Police has strengthened its response and resources with dedicated teams tackling sexual offences to meet the growing demand, awareness and understanding of "these often complex crimes affecting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities."

He added: "The Force has been working with, and will continue to work with local partners to promote awareness of how we can continue to tackle serious offending, whether recent or non-recent.

"We are committed to tackling these crimes. We will thoroughly investigate such offences, we will safeguard victims and we will bring offenders to justice."

Help can be found through a number of professional organisations, such as Stop it Now! of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

Contact numbers and websites for victims:

Local Authority Children’s Social Care:

Bournemouth: 01202 456900

Poole: 01202 735046

Dorset: http://www.dorsetforyou.com/393713

For more information visit:

• Barnardos http://www.barnardos.org.uk

• NSPCC 0808 800 5000

help@nspcc.org.uk

www.nspcc.org.uk/childsexualexploitation

• National Helpline for male victims of CSE 07808 863 662

• UK safer internet centre website. www.saferinternet.org.uk

• Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre. www.ceop.police.uk

• CEOP resources suitable for parents and children of different ages. www.thinkuknow.co.uk

• www.stopitnow.org.uk

• www.internetmatters.org