Experts believe one reason for this might be the use of mobile phones and social media which means parents are able to remain in constant contact with their children and usually know where they are and who they are with around the clock.

Over the past two decades more than 1,000 young people have been murdered in the UK with the figure reaching a peak of 95 in 2001.

Dr Keri Nixon, a forensic psychologist, said: "We are much more protective of our children these days. We don't let them walk to school, we don't let them have paper rounds and through mobile phones and social media we know where they are all the time.

"So the opportunity for stranger murders has been reduced. However with the growth of the internet and social media we have also opened up a whole new world of danger for youngsters, where they can be groomed and contacted by people who pose a risk to their safety.

"The bogeyman down the street, who we were warned about in the 1970s has been replaced by the online predator."

According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the year to November 2016 saw 38 child murders, which was six down on the previous lowest year in 2014.