Thousands of Kent adults have called a child abuse hotline amid fears for the safety of at-risk children.

The NSPCC Helpline had 2,242 calls between April in 2008 and March this year from the county, after intense media coverage of the Baby Peter case.

Nationally, more than 11,000 suspected child protection cases were passed on to the authorities - a third more over two years.

Many of the calls were about children being physically assaulted, sexually abused or neglected - with the authorities acting in almost all cases.

It comes after Baby Peter died two years ago, in August 2007, aged just 17 months.

He died after suffering more than 50 injuries during months of abuse at his home in Haringey, north London.

On the second anniversary of his death, Christine Renouf, director of helpline services for the charity, said: "The brutal torture and death of Baby Peter was terrible, but we know it was a wake-up call for some people to look out for children.

Christine Renouf, NSPCC director of helpline services, talks to kmfm about the rise in calls to the charity

"More than one in three of our suspected child protection cases involve families not known to local authorities. Among them there will be children saved by a phone call to our helpline. It is becoming more and more difficult for child abusers to hide their crimes."

To report a suspected case, call 0808 800 5000.