COMPLAINTS of bullying in the region have reached record levels, according to a leading children's charity.

Calls to ChildLine - the charity set up by TV star Esther Rantzen - have reached their highest level in the organisation's 18-year history, with the misery caused by childhood bullying cited by callers as the prime reason for using the helpline.

In Yorkshire and the North-East, bullying-related calls to the charity jumped by almost a third in 12 months, up from 1,841 to 2,447.

Calls went up in all age groups monitored by the charity, with 503 children under 11, 547 between 12 and 15, and 41 16 and over calling the helpline in the region.

Nationally, more than 31,000 children and young people have spoken to a ChildLine counsellor about bullying in the year up to March, compared with just over 21,000 the previous year.

Bullying is the single biggest reason why youngsters contact the charity - accounting for one-in-four calls to the free, 24-hour helpline.

The figures were revealed to coincide with a major fundraising push to enable more children to speak to a ChildLine counsellor.

The ChildLine Foundation, to be unveiled tomorrow, aims to raise £1m in its first year to pay for the training and call costs to allow all the children who call the 0800 1111 helpline to speak to a counsellor.

Yesterday, Durham County Council's anti-bullying co-ordinator, Val McFarlane, said: "It's a good thing that children are aware of ChildLine and are ringing in increasing numbers, but I don't think that bullying is on the increase, I think that more children are prepared to report it."

The 24-hour ChildLine number is 0800 1111.