One of the most important duties we have, as a council, is to protect and safeguard children.

Child abuse is a very difficult topic to write and talk about, but it is important that we all think about what we can do to help protect children.

This is why I am taking the opportunity to highlight an important campaign called “Report it, don’t ignore it”, to encourage everyone to report suspected incidents of child abuse.

It has been estimated that more than half a million children are abused in the UK each year.

In Swindon, over the last few months, there were 2,294 reports of abuse, the majority of which came from police referrals or council professionals. Just five per cent of reports were from members of the public.

What this shows, is that individual people making reports is vital, to ensure that children who are at risk are drawn to the attention of the appropriate authorities.

If these reports are not made, these children may not be protected, because the council can only investigate those concerns that we know about.

We are concerned that there may be people who have concerns about child abuse, but don’t come forward.

The aim of this campaign is to encourage people to come forward.

If we saw a child on their own, about to step into a dangerous situation, like stepping out into a busy road, of course we would not hesitate to do the right thing and keep them safe.

But when it comes to making a report about something like child protection, we may hesitate, because we don’t want to raise a concern if we are not sure.

We want to reach out to every single person in Swindon, with the message that you must not be afraid to raise your concerns about suspected abuse, exploitation or neglect.

It is much better to report something that, with further investigation, turns out to be a false alarm, than it is to dismiss a suspicion that is later shown to have been justified.

Last week, Wiltshire Police told us that tackling child abuse is “one of the biggest demands experienced by police forces around the country”.

We have excellent relations with the Wiltshire force, and are pleased to be working together on this important campaign.

Child abuse takes many different forms, and can happen to anyone, from all walks of life. We ask people to be vigilant in spotting the signs, and feel comfortable about reporting them.

Residents are urged either to contact the council by emailing: swindonmash@swindon.gov.uk, calling 01793 466903 during office hours, or 101 outside of office hours, if they are concerned about someone they know, or to ring 999 if they see children in immediate danger.

For more information, please visit swindon.gov.uk/dontignoreit