A new online safety campaign aimed at protecting children in their digital worlds is being promoted on a huge screen in Blackburn town centre.

The digital screen, which is located close to the town hall, has been sharing online safety help and advice as part of the new campaign, called Blackburn with Darwen Safety Net.

Recent analysis by the NSPCC found the coronavirus pandemic created the perfect opportunity for online offenders, after a surge in online grooming crimes was reported.

In the North West, police forces recorded 210 offences of sexual communication with a child in the first three months of lockdown alone.

Facebook-owned apps were used in 43 percent of instances where the means of communication was known, with Snapchat being used in 18 percent of instances for which data was available.

And with many families giving children new electronic devices for Christmas, it's worth thinking about the potential online harms children may face each time they log on.

To help raise awareness of the issues, the NSPCC, Blackburn Children’s University, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Youth Action teamed-up to launch the Blackburn with Darwen Safety Net campaign, which aims to signpost parents and carers to website, Net Aware.

NSPCC’s local campaigns manager, Mubashar Khaliq, said: “The internet is a fabulous resource for our children, enabling them to stay connected, entertained and to keep up with their studies.

"But with it also comes potential online harms.

"Encouraging parents and carers to have regular and open conversations with their children is a great way to help keep them safe online.

"And resources like Net Aware help parents not only understand the practical steps they can take, such as enabling privacy settings, switching off locations, but gives them the confidence to talk about healthy online habits.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Mubashar Khaliq, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager, Sara Burton from Blackburn Children’s University and Amar Abbas from Youth Action underneath the screen.Mubashar Khaliq, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager, Sara Burton from Blackburn Children’s University and Amar Abbas from Youth Action underneath the screen.

Net Aware offers advice and reviews from parents and experts on the most popular apps and games used by children.

And ahead of Christmas, the site has created a useful checklist to help guide parents in setting up new devices.

Sara Burton from Blackburn Children’s University said: “During the pandemic, many activities have gone online, with children spending more and more time in front of electronic devices.

"We want to spread the message about online safety and encourage our parents/carers to talk to their children about being online and understand the steps they can take to keep their children safe.

"BwD Safety Net is something that will continue into next year, with the hope of offering information sessions in 2021 too. We are all very excited about it.”

For more information about your child’s online world and the most popular apps/games they’re using at net-aware.org.uk