A TEENAGER who became obsessed with a woman on a sex chat line smashed up his disabled mother's home after a row over the telephone bill he had run up.

Today a telephone watchdog urged parents to take action to prevent their children being attracted by services operated on premium rate numbers.

And youth workers urged families to contact a new helpline if they thought youngsters were getting hooked on chatlines.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the 16-year-old youth described the chatline girl, known as Sabrina, as the love of his life.

The court was told the Blackburn boy, who can not be named for legal reasons, threatened to kill himself if he couldn't get in touch with her before damaging his mother's home.

The youth court ordered a three-month action plan supervised by the youth offending team and ordered the youth to pay £95 costs.

Today a spokesperson for ICSTIS -- the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services -- pleaded with worried parents to get premium rate numbers, which start with the prefix 090, barred from being dialled from their phones.

And he added that compensation could be sought for parents whose children have run up massive phone bills.

"All conversations on these lines must be recorded, and by law companies have to provide ICSTIS with the tapes if we so require.

"Companies have to make sure chat lines of a sexual nature are only for the use of people over 18.

"Checks have to be made and if the person on the other end of the phone is in doubt as to the age of the caller, they must end the call.

"All companies who advertise premium rate chat lines of a sexual nature can only do so in 'top shelf' publications. Unfortunately though, some newsagents have become more lenient as to the age of the person they are selling these magazines to.

"Every company offering premium rate services is registered with us and must make sure that anyone under 18 does not use the service."

He said live chat lines of a sexual nature only operated on a one-to-one basis, so it was possible callers could develop a close 'relationship' with the person at the end of the line.

Peter Wilde, prosecuting, told magistrates that the youth told his mother that Sabrina was the love of his life and it was clear that he had developed a fixation. He said she returned home and found curtains pulled down, ornaments smashed, plaster knocked off the wall and the telephone ripped from its socket after an argument over the bills he had run up. She and her other son locked the doors but the youth climbed in through a bedroom window and began banging and shouting and the police were called.

Jonathon Taylor, defending, said: "He ultimately lost his temper when the girl found out his age and refused to meet him."

Kate Clements from Blackburn with Darwen Council's Youth Service said a new helpline, called The Line, had been set up to deal with all problems concerning young people and their families.

She said: "If people are worried about getting involved in chat lines, or who may have children they think are using them regularly, they can contact The Line, which is open from 10am to 10pm every day."

To speak to one of The Line staff, ring freephone 0800 511111 or text your message to 07786 511111