THE number of sex offences against children recorded by police in Greater Manchester rose by almost 500 last year.

In 2015/16, 3,210 child sex offences were allegedly committed, up from 2,730 in 2014/15.

This means that up to nine child sex offences were recorded a day, according to figures obtained by the NSPCC.

The crimes against children included rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

Greater Manchester Police recorded 1,022 sex offences against children aged under 10 and 251 of those were against children under the age of four.

The NSPCC said the increase was due to police forces improving recording methods, victims feeling more confident in disclosing abuse following recent high-profile cases and that online grooming has become a ‘major problem’ as predators reached several children.

The charity said the total number of sex offences committed was unknown, as more children may not have come forward because they were frightened, embarrassed or did not realise they had been abused. To cope with the numbers of children coming forward, the NSPCC is calling for specialist training for police investigating online child abuse, effective rehabilitation for child sex offenders, and investment in early intervention services to help children recover.

The NSPCC’s “Speak Out. Stay Safe” programme visits primary schools across the UK to help children learn the signs of abuse and to know what to do if they have been the victim of such abuse.