The viewing of indecent images of children is so prevalent that people probably know someone within their circle who does it, Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said today.

She told the BBC that viewing of such images had “grown hugely”, with official figures showing a 700% rise in the number referred to police by social media companies since 2012.

“People think that is horrendous, it is, but I’m afraid we probably all know somebody who does that,” she told the BBC.

“So we must think more about the people who are making the images, live streaming and that kind of thing.”

Ms Dick cited the growth of child abuse as another pressure on police resources amid the growing debate over force priorities.

Earlier this week, Sara Thornton, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said she wanted police to focus on tackling violent crime and burglaries rather than being distracted by expanding hate crimes to include misogyny.

She was backed by Ms Dick, who said she wanted her officers to focus on violent crime, rather than hate crime.

It is estimated that at least 80,000 people in the UK pose a sexual threat to children online.