CASES of child cruelty and neglect across Wiltshire have soared by 56 per cent in three years, new figures show.

An annual review by the NSPCC showed that the times parents or carers were reported to police in connection with child neglect offences rose from 23 in 2013 to 36 in 2015. That is compared to an increase of 40 per cent nationally.

The increase in cases is reflected in the number of calls made to the NSPCC helpline – 16,000 nationally last year – about children suffering neglect.

Adults called with fears about children who were starving and dirty or living in rat-infested homes, while others reported parents who were drunk or left their children to fend for themselves.

Sharon Copsey, NSPCC Regional Head of Service for South West England, said: “These levels of neglect simply do not belong to the 21st century. Many of these lonely, frightened, children have to resort to desperate measures to survive after being left to fend for themselves and it shames our nation that these numbers are so high. It’s an unacceptable situation.”

The charity cited cases of a 14-year-old boy who had to eat pet food because it was all that was in the house and a 13-year-old who was forced to steal to eat as examples that something needed to be done.

Wiltshire Police chief constable Mike Veale said: “These types of cases involving violence and abuse in the home are some of the most complex and troubling that our officers deal with, and we need to acknowledge that it must be a joint effort to try to bring these offenders to justice and ultimately prevent these crimes from being committed in the first place.

“We have strong working relationships with our partner agencies, such as local authorities and the health service, and we need to continue to develop and build on these foundations to do everything possible to safeguard our children from abuse.”

The NSPCC is currently running a campaign called It’s Time which is calling for all child victims of abuse to be given timely, appropriate therapy to help them overcome their traumatic experience and rebuild their lives.