A charity is using the internet to help victims of male rape.

Newhaven-based Mankind UK provides counselling and support to men who have been sexually abused or raped at any time in their lives.

The charity's web site has become an essential part of its outreach activity.

Co-founder Anne Sparkes said: "Experts believe 20 per cent of the male population has suffered sexual abuse. From the work I have done, I believe this figure could be much higher.

"There is very little publicity or Press coverage about male rape, which can make it difficult for victims to know where to turn.

"Society operates under an assumption that rape is a female problem and when something happens to shatter this illusion of safety, it can be difficult for victims. They can feel it brings their sexuality and maleness into question."

Mankind UK provides one-to-one counselling for 25 clients across the county and has a waiting list for many others seeking their services.

Ms Sparkes said: "The internet offers us a 24-hour presence where we never have to ask anyone to wait or turn them away because we are over subscribed.

"The anonymity of the web is a major bonus for many men starting to seek advice. They may not be ready to meet one of our team in person or even pick up a phone.

"Using the web site to find out about our work can let them feel so much safer and in control, vital elements of dealing with the abuse they have suffered.

"We also have a bulletin board at the site and we have seen people offering support to each other through the messages posted online."

The web site has had more than 2,000 visitors since it was set up last year and numbers are rising.

Ms Sparkes said: "We are keen to develop our site further and have plenty of ideas for services we could put online.

"The main obstacle is funding. We would love to hear from any company in Sussex that can offer to update our web site free of charge.

"Sadly, there is a huge demand for the help we offer and we are always struggling to find the funds needed to achieve our aims. We recently had to close our phone hotline for want of money and we can't afford to run a permanent office.

"Email has given us a way to keep lines of communication open but we are constantly in need of more money and assistance to keep things going."

Mankind UK was founded in 1999 by Ms Sparkes and Mike Brown.

The charity has 14 volunteer counsellors operating in the county and is always keen to hear from more volunteers.

The charity can be contacted on 01273 510447 or access their web site at:

www.mankind.uk.net