NUMBERS of sex attacks against male victims reported in Barnsley have soared in the last five years and the county's policing boss described the trend as 'disturbing'.

Last year police dealt with 58 complaints of sex attacks against male victims and more than half of those were against children under the age of 13, figures obtained by the Barnsley Chronicle reveal.

Since 2000, 42 rapes (plus 62 sexual assaults) have been reported against boys under 13, nine rapes (plus 18 sexual assaults) have been reported against boys aged 13 to 16 and 13 rapes (and seven sexual assaults) have been reported against males aged over 16.

** The full story is in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated April 10. **