A top UK police officer says paedophiles who look at pornographic images of children should not be prosecuted.

Only offenders posing a direct physical threat should be thrown in jail, with the rest put on the sex offenders register and offered counselling and rehabilitation, Simon Bailey, who heads the National Police Chiefs' Council for child protection told The Times.

While chief constable Bailey acknowledged such a move would be unpopular, it would free up police resources to target the most dangerous sex offenders, he said.

An increase in reporting of recent sex crimes had meant the police system was reaching “saturation point” he said.

Recent publicity surrounding the case of Jimmy Savile in the UK has led to an increase of reporting of historical sex crimes.

Police in the UK now receive and average of 112 new reports of sexual abuse a day and investigate more than 70,000 cases a year.

“It has now reached that point where we have to try to turn the tide. We have to look at alternatives,” he said.

“How can the police service be expected to cope with all that, if, in the margins, we are still having to deal with what I would describe as very, very low-risk offenders, who, based upon good risk assessments, pose little if any actual threat of contact abuse?” Chief constable Bailey said.

However, offenders directing the abuse of children should be punished with jail time, he said.