NSPCC refers itself to regulator for not reporting high-risk Childline cases

Of all communication Childline receives from children, 60% comes via web chat, 30% via phone calls and 10% via email. Photograph: ljubaphoto/Getty Images

The NSPCC has referred itself to the charity regulator after admitting it failed to flag high-risk Childline cases to the police and local authorities.

An internal review found that over a six-month period, 37 contacts from children categorised as high-risk – which includes reports of physical and sexual abuse, neglect and suicidal thoughts – were not passed on to the relevant authorities.