Esther Rantzen visited ChildLine staff in Glasgow

Ms Rantzen, who started ChildLine nearly 20 years ago, travelled to Glasgow to talk to staff about changes.

The 24-hour free and confidential counselling service has found fundraising increasingly difficult.

Elsewhere in the UK the ChildLine telephone service has been incorporated into the NSPCC.

Scottish charity Children 1st is the sister organisation of the NSPCC.

Ms Rantzen said the development was wonderful news for children.

ChildLine and the NSPCC are in discussions with Children 1st so that we can work towards the ChildLine service in Scotland being provided by Children 1st Anne Houston ChildLine Scotland

"It has always been the aim, from the moment ChildLine was born, to be able to answer every single child who calls, the first time they call," she said.

"Together we can take great strides to reaching this goal and helping even more children and young people whose lives are blighted by abuse, bullying and other problems."

Ms Rantzen visited staff and volunteers and thanked them for their hard work, offering protection and support to "vulnerable and desperate" children.

Anne Houston, Director of ChildLine Scotland, said: "ChildLine and the NSPCC recognise the need for a distinctive solution for children in Scotland because of the different legal and education systems and the extent of devolution in Scotland.

"ChildLine and the NSPCC are in discussions with Children 1st so that we can work towards the ChildLine service in Scotland being provided by Children 1st."