text: Child sexual abuse reports have soared since Operation Yewtree which was sparked by Jimmy Savile's assaulting of dozens of children . Reports of child sex abuse cases have risen by more than 60 per cent in the wake of investigations such as Operation Yewtree and the Rotherham scandal. Figures revealed thousands more people had contacted police with allegations of abuse since 2011, with nearly 9,000 reports filed in 2014. Despite a surge in reports, the number of arrests fell by nine per cent, prompting critics to accuse the Government of failing victims of abuse. Among the forces to see the largest rise in reported cases was South Yorkshire where there was a 577 per cent increase over the last five years. It comes after an estimated 1,400 children were abused in the area over several years, with officials in Rotherham ousted as a result of the scandal having been deemed not fit for purpose. While only 74 cases of child sex abuse were reported to the force in 2011, 501 were investigated in 2014, the figures, obtained via Freedom of Information request by The Guardian, revealed. But while a surge in the number of reports suggested victims felt more comfortable coming forward, a decrease in the number of arrests made prompted critics to accuse police of not doing enough. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the ratio of reported crimes to arrests as a 'national scandal'. 'This isn't a problem from the past. It is a growing problem the Government should be confronting right now. 'Victims of child sex abuse are being let down when alongside a 60 per cent increase in reports there has been a nine per cent drop in arrests for child sex abuse, as well as falling prosecutions and convictions for child abuse offences as the police are unable to keep up.' Shaun Wright, the former Police and Crime Commissioner of South Yorkshire Police, resigned over the force's handling of the Rotherham child abuse scandal . Thames Valley Police made 191 arrests in relation to child sex abuse - up from just 13 in 2011. Campaigners said the rise was indicative of increased awareness of child sexual abuse among the public. 'In recent years there has been a huge increase in awareness of child sexual abuse and it’s good that more people are coming forward,' Alan Wardle, NSPCC head of policy and public affairs, said. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the figures were a 'national scandal' 'Since the Operation Yewtree police investigation was launched in 2012, the NSPCC helpline has seen a huge rise in the number of victims willing to speak out, get support and help bring abusers to justice. 'In the year after Yewtree was launched there was an 81% increase in calls about sexual abuse to the NSPCC helpline and this surge continues. 'When children take the extremely difficult step of reporting abuse we need to ensure they are properly supported and get the help they need when they are brave enough to give evidence in court.' Operation Yewtree was sparked by revelations made in 2012 that the late comedian Jimmy Savile had sexually abused children and young women in the 1970s and 80s. The Scotland Yard investigation is understood to pursue three lines of inquiry. The first relates to Savile's crimes while the second to allegations made against him and other public figures. The third was set up to investigate reports made as a result of the high-profile Savile allegations.
target: Police have seen a surge in number of  child sex abuse cases since 2011 .
  In South Yorkshire the figure rose by 577 per cent over the last four years .
  Comes after 1,400 children were found to have been abused in Rotherham .
  Despite the rise in reported cases the number of arrests made decreased .
  Critics described the ratio of arrests to reports as a 'national scandal'