Over 652,000 calls were made to Childline last year, however almost 190,000 of these calls could not be answered, a new report has shown.

According to the ISPCC's 2014 Annual Report, one key area of concern noted by the Childline service was the ‘scale and complexity of mental health issues for children', including cases of children at ‘high risk' of suicide.

A total of 652,382 calls were received by the service, with 462,505 of these calls being answered. Over 11,500 text conversations also took place.

"Over 20,000 contacts in 2014 related to psychosocial and mental health issues. Worryingly, over 1,000 contacts to Childline in 2014 related to suicide. A significant number of these contacts were within our most urgent category with 303 calls from children at high risk of suicide," the report highlighted.

It also noted a decrease in the number of children making contact because of bullying, but emphasised that this is still a ‘major issue' for children, particularly in relation to cyber bullying.

The report also revealed that almost 30,000 contacts made last year related to sex and sexuality, with children having queries about a range of issues including their own sexuality, sexual behaviour and contraception.

In terms of ISPCC services overall, the report noted that last year, the society worked with 348 new referrals to its Childhood Support Services. The children using these services had a range of issues, including behavioural problems, anxiety and emotional issues.

Meanwhile, the ISPCC support line, which provides advice to parents and members of the public who are concerned about the welfare of a child, answered 370 calls in 2014. Issues of concern that were raised included neglect, physical abuse and bullying.

For more information on the ISPCC, click here
For more information on Childline, click here