A NATIONAL campaign aimed at raising awareness of the risks posed to children while playing video-games online has received the full backing of Cheshire Constabulary.

According to a survey of 2,000 parents with children aged 5-18, 91 percent of parents say their kids play games online.

Get Safe Online, the public private joint internet safety initiative, now claims more than half worry about their safety when it comes to gaming online.

Cheshire Police has now urged parents to educate their children of the risks of playing online.

Detective Superintendent Geraint Jones said: “As parents, it’s impossible to know what your children are doing all of the time, particularly when it comes to online gaming where there is a level of obliviousness about the complex digital world kids are entering.

“In the same way you would warn your kids about the risks of riding a bike or crossing a road, it’s important to educate your children to the security dangers early on so you can feel comfortable knowing they are playing safely, and your children know when to alert someone to anything suspicious.

“Unfortunately, some people playing these games are not who they say they are but by working together, we can stop these online criminals.”