Shocking figures have revealed that high numbers of sexual offences committed in Lancashire in the last year were by children, with high numbers of children also being victims.

Data obtained from Lancashire Constabulary under the Freedom of Information Act shows that 12 to 15-year-olds were more likely to be targeted by sex offenders, with suspects more likely to be 14 or 15-years-old.

A total of 4,797 sex offences were recorded by Lancashire Constabulary between September 2022 to September 2023, which equates to around 13 sex offences per day.

Of these, 17 per cent (812) of offences were recorded in Blackburn, with 10 per cent occurring in Burnley.

The area with the highest number of reports was Blackpool with 909, or almost a fifth of incidents occurring in the county.

Further data revealed the most common type of sex offence reported was sexual assault of a female aged 13 or over, which made up 1,128 or 23 per cent of incidents.

Other common incident types included rape of a female aged 16 or over (880 or 18 per cent) and sexual activity with a child under 16 years-old (591 or 12 per cent).

Females were more likely to be targeted by suspected sex offenders, whilst males were more likely to be suspected of committing an offence.

The data also showed that 382 13-year-olds, 411 14-year-olds and 364 15-year-olds were victims of sexual offences between 2022 and 2023, while 238 14-year-olds and 203 15-year-olds were treated as suspects of sexual offences.

The data was compiled by LegalExpert.co.uk and a spokesperson from the criminal injury team at JF Law, which owns the LegalExpert.co.uk brand, said: “The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and recent high-profile cases have brought sexual and physical abuse to the forefront of public policy.

“Many people are not aware that there does not need to be a conviction to claim.

“This means that even for those victims let down by the criminal justice system, there is still an opportunity to obtain a financial remedy which may help victims achieve a sense of closure.”

Lancashire Police have been contacted for comment.