A MUM finally brought herself to ring for help 12 months after her five-year-old daughter had returned from a visit to her father complaining of a "sore bottom".

A baby-sitter called someone after spotting cigarette burns on a baby's face and foot.

And another woman made a call after seeing a young neighbour foraging for rotting food in his parents' dustbin.

Luckily these "silent witnesses" took it upon themselves to ring the NSPCC's Child Protection Helpline. But, as in the first story, people tend to delay before making that call, according to the NSPCC.

Over the past 12 months the Helpline has received 15,603 calls from Bolton and Greater Manchester - making it the second most "responsive" area in the country.

But a nationwide survey of 173 calls to the Helpline, carried out between Monday, December 14 and Saturday, December 20, found a third of callers waited from a month to over a year before reporting their fears about a child.

One-in-seven held back for more than 12 months.

And in the Bolton area a staggering two-thirds of children who are being abused DON'T say anything to anybody.

In a New Year campaign, the NSPCC is urging silent witnesses to make resolutions and raise the alarm on child cruelty.

Regional Director for Bolton, Karen Rigby says: "These silent witnesses may be parents, relatives, neighbours, friends, children, teachers or other professionals.

"The NSPCC believes there are many thousands of people who know or suspect a child is suffering abuse but keep it to themselves.

"Reasons for doing so include not wanting to get involved, being unsure abuse is taking place or not knowing who to contact.

"But the most common reason is that people fear reprisals."

According to NSPCC figures, over 40 enquiries into child killings since 1973 show there are nearly always warning signs of cruelty before a child's death - in many cases relatives or neighbours were aware a child was being abused but didn't know what action to take.

Karen says: "The main aim of the NSPCC campaign is to get people to ring the Helpline - no matter how slight the suspicion they think the problem is."

The NSPCC spoke to a number of adults who had been abused as children and they all said if they had had someone to tell, perhaps the abuse would have stopped.

Most people who survive child abuse report that signs of their suffering were not recognised - or were ignored - for many years. It's believed that for every child whose abuse comes to light, many others slip through the net.

Karen said it is important to "train" neighbours, family friends and relatives to watch what's going on.

"Particularly in this country," she says, "we are brought up to believe an Englishman's home is his castle and many of us think that what goes on behind closed doors is simply none of our business.

"People think they are being nosey and they may also be too ready to accept an adult's false explanation for the harm inflicted upon a child. But anyone who thinks a child may be being abused should report it.

"That's not being nosey, it's helping a child who may be suffering." CASE HISTORY THE case here is a true one but, to safeguard confidentiality, we cannot geographically identify it.

A CALLER phoned the Helpline concerned about a little boy living nearby.

He said the boy regularly had to seek shelter in the family's garage after being locked out of the house during the school holidays.

The youngster often waited around outside the house, playing in the road and climbing on top of the garage roof.

The caller said this had been going on for several years but he hadn't wanted to get involved because the boy's father had been in prison for attacking someone.

However, the caller said in recent months he had seen the young boy on several occasions rummaging through dustbins in the mornings.

He said he's seen the boy taking rotten food from the bins and eating it. He also said the boy looked very thin and undernourished. Child abuse - some of the facts Last year the Helpline received 15,603 calls regarding child abuse in the Bolton and Greater Manchester area, according to a spokesman from the NSPCC.

At least ONE child dies in Britain every week and babies under one face a far higher risk of suffering a violent death. Government figures reveal that 82 children died at the hands of adults abusers between April 1997 and March 1998. Many victims are beaten to death by parents, others die from starvation and some are tortured to death.

The National Commission of Enquiry into the Prevention of Child Abuse estimates that 150,000 children are physically abused a year and 100,000 children have a harmful sexual experience.

Around 110,000 men have been convicted of a sexual offence against a child in England and Wales. Sexual abuse, like other forms of child abuse, is more likely to happen within the family than anywhere else.

Situations to watch out for:

A child with injuries which cannot be satisfactorily explained or that could be the result of physical abuse

A child who is constantly screaming or is very withdrawn

A child who shows sudden dramatic changes in behaviour

A child who appears neglected, left alone or poorly fed

A child who reveals sexual abuse or exhibits unusual sexual behaviour Karen adds: "There may be other signs which could indicate other problems. If in doubt, phone the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline."

The Helpline number is 0800 800 500 or Textphone 0800 056 0566. It's a free 24-hour service which provides counselling, information and advice to anyone concerned about a child at risk of abuse.

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