by Martin Jefferies

Shocking stats released today show two children are sexually assaulted every day in Kent.

The children's charity NSPCC asked every police force in England and Wales to reveal how many youngsters were abused last year.

In Kent, 740 child sex offences were recorded in 2009/10 - placing the county seventh in the list of 43 forces.

In total, more than 23,000 offences, including rape, incest and gross indecency, were logged - up eight per cent on the previous year. It equates to nearly one sexual assault every 20 minutes.

Jon Brown, from the NPSCC, said: "The rise in recorded sex offences against children is a real concern and we need to find ways to help victims and change the behaviour of young offenders.

"We urge everyone to be vigilant and report any concerns they have about a child."

The NSPCC, which used Freedom of Information Act legislation to request the data, found that most offences involved children aged 12-15 years old.

However, more than 1,000 victims were of pre-school age, while one in four were aged 11 or under.

Girls are six times more likely to be sexually assualted than boys.