The figures were obtained by the Tele under Freedom of Information, and come at a time when child protection measures in the area have been thrust into the spotlight.

A child concern report can be completed by any police officer that attends an incident and believes a child to be at risk.

The child may be living in an environment where there is domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol misuse or neglect.

The report will be submitted to the social work department and the children’s reporter and any the decision to pursue the matter is made at a joint meeting between the force’s family protection unit, representatives from the police and social work departments as well as health and education.

Chief Inspector Martin Fotheringham said the high number of reports held by the force were a preventative measure and did not mean that more children were at risk than in previous years.

“It is important to stress this figure does not mean 6000 people have been arrested for harming children,” he said.

“If officers are deployed to incidents where children are present, we look for them to make reports if they have any concerns for the children.

“The correct procedure is to report the incident and also any minors concerned so the family protection unit can review the case.

“It doesn’t mean all these children have been harmed in any way.

“We just want to make the necessary agencies aware officers attended an incident so they can assess to see if other action needs to be taken.

“It’s a prevention system, and is about notifying the relevant parts of the force and outside agencies of any concerns so action can be taken to ensure all vulnerable children are safeguarded.

“We do not look upon this figure as a negative one as it is better that concerns are raised, even if they amount to nothing, than children are harmed.

“Only a subset of the total number of reports come from a heightened concern for a child and in a much smaller subset has something actually happened to a child,” he added.

“HAMPERED BY LACK OF RESOURCES”

Social workers dealing with child protection are being hindered by a lack of resources, union leaders claimed today.

Leaders of the trade union Unison — which represents many social services staff — complained there were “too few resources to match too many children at risk”.

John Stevenson, a member of the union’s social work issues group, will raise the issue at a child protection conference in Edinburgh today.

The conference comes after inspectors criticised Aberdeen’s child protection services, with a report last November stating they were not confident all children at risk of harm, abuse or neglect were receiving the help and support they needed.

And last month serious concerns about the child protection services in Moray were identified.

Speaking ahead of today’s conference Mr Stevenson insisted, “While it is right that high standards are expected in child protection, they cannot be achieved without the tools to do the job.

“It is right we look at systems. It is right we inspect and improve practice to make children safer.

“But it misses the point totally if we do not address the root problem of too few resources to match too many children at risk.

“You only have to divide the number of children assessed as being in need with the number of social workers available to see where the problem lies.

“Our members want to work to high standards. They want to be accountable and most of all they want to protect children. But they tell us that too often they are being asked to do this with one hand tied behind their back.”

A UK-wide survey of social work staff carried out by Unison recently claimed there were problems such as reduced resources, staff vacancies and workers having to deal with increased caseloads and excessive bureaucracy.