The number of children reporting sexual abuse by women to ChildLine has soared over the past five years.

New research reveals the helpline experienced a 132% rise in complaints of female sexual assaults over the period, compared with a 27% increase in reports of abuse by men.

The statistics follow the case of nursery worker Vanessa George, who is awaiting sentencing for sexually abusing children in her care and taking and distributing pornographic photographs of them.

In the past year, more than 2,100 children told ChildLine they had been sexually abused by a woman. That is nearly a quarter of all calls where the offender's gender could be identified.

More than half of those (1,311) claimed their own mother was responsible for the assault.

The research found boys were more likely to say they had been abused a woman than a man.

However, girls were more than 10 times likelier to report being abused by a male than a female.

Esther Rantzen, president of the helpline, said: "This report reveals that ChildLine, by listening to the direct and authentic voices of abused children, has shattered common myths about sexual abuse.

"It does not only happen to girls, as many people believe. It happens to boys too.

"Mothers can sometimes sexually abuse their sons. And the report found that when girls are sexually abused, by far the most common perpetrator is not a stepfather, as many believe, but the biological father."

Previous research by the NSPCC suggested women may be responsible for about one in 20 sex offences committed against children.