£1m needed to save ChildLine night service

More than £1 million is needed if ChildLine is to retain its night time service, charity founder Esther Rantzen has said.

The former 'That's Life' presenter warned the night service will have to close unless it gets fresh cash.

She said: “Many of the desperate children we speak to overnight are facing real emergencies and don’t know where else to turn for help.

“The emergency appeal we are launching today is the only way to ensure that our lines are always open whenever a child needs us. Donate now by calling 0800 876 6000 or visiting our website.”

Childline’s Northern Ireland director Paddy Shannon described the night service as “vital”.

"Calls at night are very often from children in real difficulty," he said. "Three-quarters of our calls come between nine in the morning and nine at night.

"But it's also the most expensive bit of the service to run and so we're appealing for funds to try to prevent that being cut, because it is such an essential part of the service."

In 2003-2004 ChildLine ensured that 1859 children got help from emergency or social services when they needed it most. One in four (420) of these children were referred for help between 9.30pm and 7.30am.

The most common reasons for these referrals were running away/homelessness (40%), serious family tensions (22%) and physical abuse (14%).

(MB/SP)