Female genital mutilation may be much more prevalent in Britain than previously believed, with over 500 new cases identified in December alone, new figures showed yesterday.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre said that 558 new patients at acute NHS hospital trusts in England were found to have undergone the illegal procedure.

In all there have been 1,946 newly identified cases since September, of which 47 were under the age of 18.

The data also showed that 2,146 patients previously identified as having been subjected to FGM were being treated at the end of last month.

“These new figures indicate that female genital mutilation is a bigger problem in Britain than we thought and there are obviously children at risk of being subjected to this cruel and unnecessary practice right now,” said NSPCC FGM helpline head John Cameron.

“So it’s vital that all health professionals are trained to spot the signs and alert children’s services if they think a child is at risk.

“Those victims who have already undergone this barbaric procedure also need help to overcome the trauma.”

He said that since the helpline’s launch in June 2013 the NSPCC had received 512 contacts from the public and professionals, with nearly half of these cases so serious they have been referred to police and children’s services.

The first British FGM trial is being heard at Southwark Crown Court.

Dr Dhanuson Dharmasena, 32, of Ilford, is accused of carrying out the illegal procedure when stitching a woman after she gave birth at the Whittington Hospital, north London, in 2012. He denies the charge.

Hasan Mohamed, 41, denies encouraging and abetting the offence.