Hertfordshire police recorded 537 sex offences against children last year, with 97 of those against children aged 10 and under.

This is according to data obtained by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which also reveals 76,204 sex crimes against children were recorded nationally in 2018/19 - an average of one every seven minutes.

Offences include rape, grooming and sexual assault, with 16,773 against children aged 10 and under, and 341 against babies under one.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC's chief executive, said: "Record numbers of child sexual offences mean we are facing a crisis in the help available.

"These children are bravely disclosing what happened to them, but in too many cases there is not enough timely, joined up and child-friendly support.

"We need a radical rethink in how we help these young people, or they could struggle for the rest of their lives with deep-seated trauma."