RISING numbers of children on the Scottish child protection register are just the “tip of the iceberg,” a charity warned today. 

The latest Scottish government figures show that, on July 31 2024, 2,129 young people were deemed to be at risk — a 3 per cent increase on a year earlier.

According to the statistics, 48 per cent of those on the register live in the poorest 20 per cent of areas, compared with 3 per cent in the wealthiest 20 per cent, with domestic abuse, parental substance use and mental ill health being the leading concerns.