CHILD neglect in Hampshire has increased dramaticallyover in the past five years, according to the NSPCC.

Last year, the child protection charity referred 297 suspected cases of neglect in the county to police and children’s services. It made199 referrals in 2011-12.

It also received 38 calls and e-mails from Hampshire residents seeking advice about children being neglected.

Countrywide, the NSPCC made 16,882 referrals to children’s services or the police in 2016-17, equivalent to 46 per day. Child neglect was mentioned in more than a quarter of all calls to the NSPCC Helpline in the last year.

A growing number of people contacting the helpline to report parents with an alcohol or drugs problem regularly leaving children unsupervised.

These latest figures on neglect cases have been revealed in the NSPCC’s State of the Nation report ‘How Safe are our Children?’ and comes as children’s social care in England face unprecedented pressures, with more young people being taken into care, and more families needing support.

But the NSPCC believes the full scale of the problem could be much greater and is urging the Government to commission a nationwide study that measures the extent of child neglect and abuse in the UK.

Neglect can have serious and long-lasting effects; in the worst cases, it can lead to a child suffering permanent disabilities or even dying from malnutrition.

Common signs and symptoms adults may notice in a child who is being neglected include:

* Poor appearance and hygiene, they may be smelly or have unwashed clothes;

* Living in an unsuitable home environment for example dog mess being left or not having any heating;

* Left alone for a long time;

* Untreated injuries, medical and dental issues; they may be suffering from skin sores, rashes, flea bites, scabies or ringworm;

* Poor language, communication or social skills;

* Seem hungry or turn up to school without having had breakfast or any money to buy lunch.

Adults can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or e-mail [email protected].