A DAY of awareness about child abuse is being supported by several Wiltshire organisations tomorrow.

Wiltshire Police and Wiltshire Council are among those urging people to take a zero tolerance approach to child abuse in all forms as part of National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day.

Wiltshire Police, local authorities, safeguarding children boards, health providers and Wiltshire College are campaigning to highlight the signs of child sexual exploitation and advise people on how they can help tackle it.

Child sexual exploitation is a type of abuse where young people are sexually exploited for something, such as food, accommodation, gifts or money.

Children are groomed online as well as in person by people who trick victims into believing they are in a consensual relationship.

The National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day, being led by charity National Working Group, aims to encourage everyone to speak out against abuse.

Detective Superintendent Craig Holden, head of public protection for Wiltshire Police, said: “This day is a good opportunity for public agencies to highlight the issues around child sexual exploitation, inform residents and businesses about the signs to look for and what they can do to help tackle it.

“Our officers will be visiting hotels, guest houses, fast food outlets and taxi firms throughout the county, advising them of the signs and their responsibilities about reporting suspicious activity.

"Engaging with businesses whose staff may suspect signs of child sexual exploitation is an important element of how we can tackle this issue.”

On Wednesday people can show their support by writing a personal pledge on their hand and posting it on social media with #HelpingHands.

Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, said: “One of my top priorities is to protect the most vulnerable in society. So I am very pleased to see Wiltshire Police working closely with partner agencies to drive home the message that child sexual exploitation will not be tolerated.

“We all have a responsibility to alert police to any suspicious behaviour and to sensitively inform young people to recognise the risks.”

Laura Mayes, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “As a council we are committed to combating this crime and we’re working with our key partners on zero tolerance of child sexual exploitation.

“But it’s not just about agencies, we also have members of the public, businesses and organisations signing our pledge on zero tolerance of child sexual exploitation, and I would encourage everyone to sign up.

“This shows by working together everyone can play their part in raising awareness and helping eliminate child sexual exploitation and having this national day provides a major platform to spread the message even further.”

If you are concerned about a child and want to speak to someone, contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Team MASH on 0300 4560108 or out of hours on 0845 6070888. If an emergency always dial 999