Police launch website to protect children online
West Mercia Police has launched a website aimed at keeping children safe when they are online.
As part of the force's Internet Safety Awareness Week, a site called WES (Worcestershire E Safety) was unveiled on Tuesday.
Safeguarding Boards from across West Mercia came together to promote safe surfing on the internet for children.
The new website includes information and advice for all ages about issues such as cyber bullying and privacy.
Det Supt Martin Lakeman, head of public protection at West Mercia Police, said: "The internet is a fantastic place and is the primary means of communication for young people but, just like any place, it can have hidden dangers.
"Children may spend hours online blogging, gaming or visiting social networking sites.
"Parents should get to know more about their child's online world.
"We don't want to scare people but with a few simple pieces of knowledge parents can help to keep their children safe online."
Hilary Thompson, independent chair of the Worcestershire Safeguarding Board, added: "This new WES site is an excellent resource for children and parents alike.
"One of the things we are desperate to capture is what children and young people do while online and within WES is an online questionnaire which we urge as many people as possible to complete.
"This will help us to know where the risks are and to adopt our strategy accordingly."