The number of children needing counselling for online bullying has increased by 88 per cent in five years.

The NSPCC's Childline service counselled 4,541 children this year, which was 13 per cent more than the previous year.

Children as young as seven told Childline how they were scared to go to school after being bullied.

“Every day I wake up scared to go to school, scared about the comments people will make and scared about walking home," said one 13-year-old girl.