Pressure grows on the Government over failure to close internet grooming 'loophole'

Hundreds of offences are recorded every year in Scotland, it is revealed - but a long-promised law in England and Wales has still not been introduced.

David Cameron promised the legislation, which cleared Parliament in 2015 (PA)

Pressure is growing on ministers to finally enact a promised law to trap internet groomers of children, after new figures showed hundreds of offences every year in Scotland.

The Independent revealed in October that a crackdown – first pledged by David Cameron way back in 2014 – has still not come into force in England and Wales, angering charities.

The NSPCC accused the Government of putting thousands of young people at risk by failing to put through the "commencement order" needed to implement the new law and close a loophole.

It believed it had won a campaign - to make it illegal for an adult to communicate with a child for the purpose of sexual gratification - when Mr Cameron gave his personal backing.

Now the charity has published statistics showing that almost 400 offences are recorded in Scotland every year, under similar legislation.

In 2015-16, police recorded 199 offences of ‘communicating indecently (younger child)’ and a further 182 offences involving an older child.

The numbers have been on the rise since the law was changed in Scotland in 2010, with 347 offences in 2013-14 and 354 the following year.

Yet, in England and Wales, the loophole has still not been closed – despite the legislation passing almost two years ago, on the eve of the 2015 general election.

Ministers have refused to explain the delay but, in a parliamentary answer on the subject last year, one suggested there were "other justice priorities".

Peter Wanless, the NSPCC’s chief executive, has written to Justice Secretary Liz Truss to demand that the law is put into force immediately.

He pointed out that, over six years, the police in Scotland had recorded 1,537 offences and that legislation is now also in place in Northern Ireland.

Mr Wanless said: “In too many cases, the police have been left powerless to take action to protect children who are increasingly being targeted by abusers online.

“The public have backed our campaign, Parliament has agreed to it and Scotland shows that young victims are bravely coming forward and beginning to reveal the sickening numbers of adults targeting children for abuse, so we cannot understand why the Government is dragging its feet.

“It is an unacceptable and baffling delay in equipping police in England and Wales in the battle against criminals who are intent on targeting children.”

Mr Cameron spoke powerfully in December 2014 about his fears for his own children online, when he backed the legislation.

The then-Prime Minister said he recognised the loophole that allowed paedophiles who solicit explicit pictures of children to escape punishment if it cannot be proved they have received an illegal image.

The new law would allow police and prosecutors to pursue those who send text messages or "fish" for victims online irrespective of the outcome of their behaviour, he pledged.

Mr Cameron vowed: “There can be no grey areas here. If you ask a child to take their clothes off and send a picture, you are as guilty as if you did that in person. Just as it is illegal to produce and possess images of child abuse, now we are making it illegal to solicit these images too.”

The new offence would include activities such as talking about sex to a child via a chat room or social network, or sending sexually explicit text messages to a child, as well as inviting a child to communicate sexually.

Last year, justice minister Oliver Heald stated: "The Government remains committed to commencing section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.

"We are continuing to consider its implementation carefully whilst also considering our other justice priorities."