Published: June 20, 2007
Internet safety advice given to children by Burnham-On-Sea police

Burnham-On-Sea Police Community Support Officers Gill Udall and Claire Chambers visited St Johns Primary School in Highbridge on Monday (June 18th) to give year six pupils advice on how to safely use the Internet.

The lesson was produced by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) and aimed to increase children's awareness of some of the dangers that exist online.

Claire Chambers said: "The presentation was based on the Thinkuknow.co.uk website which teaches children how to stay in control online and how to report any issues they may face. There is also a parent link on this website providing useful tips and advice on the issue."

"A recent Thinkuknow.co.uk survey showed that one in four children are meeting someone offline that they first met online, and of them 83% are taking a friend, not a trusted adult, which places them at risk."

"We want young people to make the most of the Internet in their education and their leisure time, but they have to be safe. It's important that children and young people know about the potential dangers so that, ultimately, they can feel safe and secure when they are online."

The Burnham PCSOs also delivered the lesson to St Andrew's School in Burnham and plan to hold a special 'parents evening' for all year six students in the Burnham sector during the upcoming months.