THE NSPCC is stepping up its FULL STOP campaign with a drive to encourage more action to help the hidden victims of child cruelty.

The initiative was launched on Friday.

Awareness of child cruelty, and the desire to bring it to an end, is at an all time high. But a recent NOP survey found one in three people would be unsure what to do or prefer not to get involved if they were concerned a child was being abused.

The public education campaign, supported by Microsoft, is one of the most innovative in recent years.

A part real/part drawn TV advertisement draws on 'Tom and Jerry' imagery to show a cartoon child 'bouncing back' from several attacks by his father. After the final act of abuse the character becomes a real child lying motionless on the floor.

The screen reads: Real Children Don't Bounce Back. If you think a child is being abused do something. If unsure what action to take, viewers are urged to call the NSPCC National Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice.

The NSPCC is taking the public education campaign into the heart of local communities posters drawing on the cartoon imagery will appear on 1,300 billboards across the country.

The 60,000 NSPCC campaigners are also asking local shops, cinemas, community centres and doctors' surgeries to display an A4-sized version of the posters encouraging people to act on any concerns they may have about a child in their area.

The NSPCC is also sending out almost 1.5 million credit-card sized 'smart cards' with simple advice for people on how to respond to suspected child abuse and where to get help.

Malcolm Ward, divisional manager, Children's Services NSPCC South and East said: "Fear of making a mistake, of interfering or about the repercussions of taking action are understandable. However, there is nothing inevitable about child abuse.

"It can be stopped if all of us members of the public, NSPCC and other professionals join together to take action on child maltreatment."