Police go into primary school to warn of online groomers

London: UK police are warning primary school pupils about chatting online amid fears that paedophiles are infiltrating popular websites to groom children.

Concern is growing that children as young as five playing on the Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters sites could be vulnerable.

Bedfordshire Police is sending officers into more than 300 schools to raise awareness about online imposters after parents highlighted possible incidents. One mother told police that her son was directed away from Club Penguin into a private chatroom.

The woman left her son briefly and returned to discover he was being asked questions about "colours of underwear".

On Club Penguin, which is aimed at six to 12-year-olds and has 150 million members worldwide, children play games to win virtual coins and can also chat with other users.

Moshi Monsters, targeted at the same age group, has 13 million users in the UK. Its members solve puzzles to earn online currency.

Moshi Monsters' chief safety officer, Rebecca Newton, said: "We track every message and user so we can investigate and deal with any issues as quickly and efficiently as possible."

A Club Penguin spokeswoman said: "We continue to invest heavily in people and technology to ensure that our site remains a safe and fun environment."

— Daily Mail