KINGSBRIDGE Police are urging secondary school pupils across the South Hams not to accept friend invitations on Facebook unless you know the person.

PC Jane Gerrard said the police were currently investigating a fake Facebook account that has been set up asking secondary school pupils in the South Hams to become friends. They are then asked to send pictures of themselves.

‘This is a nationwide problem’, said PC Gerrard, ‘and this is something that we are very keen to educate young people about. Don’t accept a friend request from someone you don’t know, and if you have, and you have sent photos, you will not be seen to have done something wrong, but we would like to talk to you.’

Parents are being advised to speak to their children about this issue and highlight the dangers of sending images and personal information on social media.

This issue has been rising in the UK for a few years, with adults also being targeted by so called ‘revenge porn’. The most common being the sending of photos between consenting adults in a relationship, and when the relationship ends, these images being shared, or threatening to be shared, on a public platform.

‘Revenge porn’ became a specific criminal offence in February 2015.

If you are worried about this or worried about a friend, please contact PC Gerrard at Kingsbridge by calling 101 or emailing: [email protected]