Police back internet safety campaign

11:39am Sunday 10th February 2008

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LANCASHIRE police are backing a campaign aimed at keeping children safe when they go on-line.

Safer Internet Day takes place on Tuesday organised by Insafe, the European internet safety network and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.

Safety risks for children increase on-line chat rooms because they do not necessarily know who they are really talking to.

Young people often talk about losing inhibitions when they are online and behave very differently from when they are in the real world.

Online behaviour raises a variety of safety issues from internet bullying to risky encounters in chat rooms.

Lancashire Constabulary's head of Public Protection, Det Supt Graham Herrmann, said: "We welcome what CEOP are doing with regards to internet safety for young people and support this and the whole range of education programmes aimed at making online activity safe.

"We work closely with groups like CEOP to target offenders who use the internet and as a result of that work offenders are no longer able to hide online. The message to them is that they will be found out."

In 2007, 43 countries from all over the world participated in Safer Internet Day, which takes place for the fifth time on Tuesday.

A website has been created in each of the countries taking part in the event. The UK's website features resources for both parents and teachers to use with children. A video aimed at youngsters has also been created.

Visit www.thinknow.co.uk for more information.