Published: July 24, 2007
Burnham-On-Sea police to hold online child safety awareness evening

Parents in Burnham-On-Sea are being invited to a police safety awareness evening later this week focussing on childrens' Internet safety.

The event - which will take place this Thursday, July 26th, from 7pm-8pm in Burnham's Princess Hall - will see presentations given by representatives of the Dangerous Offenders Unit for Avon and Somerset Police and the South West Grid for Learning.

Burnham-On-Sea Police Community Support Officers Gill Udall and Claire Chambers will also be at the event to answer questions.

Claire told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "The Parent Awareness Evening has been delivered in several areas, but been poorly attended due to many parents believing the dangers would not affect their child. However, parents that have attended these evenings have been surprised by the content and found it very worthwhile."

"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, rather than a trusted adult, which places them at risk."

"This clearly shows a need for both Parents and Children alike to be alerted to the potential dangers of the internet and be advised on how to use it safely to minimise the risks."