THE NSPCC has raised concerns about police resources after it was revealed that five specialist officers are tasked with investigating child abuse images in Sussex.

The NSPCC has revealed thousands of computers are being confiscated by forces in England and Wales during investigations – but is concerned that there are “relatively few” officers available to analyse the material they contain.

Sussex Police did not disclose how many computers were seized across the county last year – but did confirm it employs five specialist investigators who are qualified to examine suspected indecent images.

A force spokesman said they had access to qualified and accredited independent examiners to assist its five qualified officers if necessary.

And officers in Sussex are now working with colleagues from the Surrey force to tackle the problem.

Nearly 5,000 computers were seized by just over a third of the 43 forces in England and Wales last year. Forces that responded said they had a total of 181 specialist officers assigned to sift through the pictures in a bid to identify the child victims – an average of six per force.

The new figures were revealed after a Freedom of Information request by the NSPCC.

Jon Brown, NSPCC lead for tackling sexual abuse, said the volume of devices and the number of images on each device that forces were having to work through was increasing.

And he said forces need to ensure they have enough officers to deal with the issue.

He added: “Ultimately what we need is an approach that cuts this material off at the source but until then, relevant authorities must ensure that staffing numbers are at a level to be able to deal with this and prioritise accordingly, so swift action can be taken and children are not put at risk.”

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “As with every aspect of police work we are always seeking ways to make our operations even more effective.”