Calls to a child bullying helpline in the West Midlands have soared by more than two thirds as school victims desperately seek help.

The number of children turning to the region's Childline service in the 12 months to April this year has leapt to 1,484.

This is an increase of 67 per cent on the previous year's total of 887.

Childline's regional director Denise Robertson said: "Children don't ring in on a whim. It takes a lot of courage to make a phone call like this. These bullying victims have real and pressing concerns and some kids are dreading going back to school because of it.

"We had 1,484 calls in the last 12 months and every one of them was about bullying."

Of the 721 children who gave their age, 289 were 11 and under while 401 were 12-15.

One city pupil who knows what the Childline callers are going through is Lhamea Lall, aged 16, from Erdington.

Lhamea, now a pupil at Heartlands High in Nechells, is to attend an Anti-Bullying Alliance conference in Scotland in November and has also been working with the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award.

She said today: "It's good that bullying victims have somewhere to turn like Childline, but I'm not surprised that calls are going up."

More than 31,000 children spoke to a Childline counsellor about bullying in the last 12 months compared with just over 21,000 in the previous year.

* Volunteers are needed in the West Midlands to staff the helpline (0800 1111) and raise funds to employ more counsellors.

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