ESSEX Police has rejected calls from the UK’s top child protection officer to look at working with vigilante paedophile hunters.

Senior officers have previously said groups such as Dark Justice or The Hunted One could put child abuse investigations at risk.

But figures obtained by the BBC show an increase in the number of cases where evidence gathered by paedophile hunters is being used.

In 114 out 259 cases in 2016 - more than 44 per cent - of meeting a child following sexual grooming, this type of evidence was used.

This compares with 11 per cent of cases - 20 out of 176 - in 2014.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the national lead for child protection at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, told the BBC: “I’m not going to condone these groups and I would encourage them all to stop, but I recognise that I am not winning that conversation.

“I think [working with vigilantes] is something we’re going to have to potentially have to look at, yes, but it comes with some real complexity.”

Last year, a man killed himself after being lured to Canvey by a self-styled paedophile hunter posing as a young girl online. Christopher Wood, who called himself Catfish the Hunter, was based on Canvey but has since given up his vigilante activities.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Essex Police strongly deter anyone from vigilante behaviour at any level. They could be acting upon inaccurate information and putting innocent people at serious risk.

“Anyone who has a genuine concern about potential criminal activity should always contact us so that we can investigate and not take the law into their own hands.”