North Yorkshire parents warned about dangers of online gaming

Parents in North Yorkshire are being warned about the dangers of online gaming after Christmas.

It is as many children in the county will have opened a new console or video game on Christmas Day and now a police officer is urging parents to check safety settings.

Chris Simpson is an avid gamer himself and said it is important to remember a lot of games include chat rooms.

He said:

"For the most part, children are going to be safe online however there are people who will take advantage; so it's just to raise awareness and make parents be mindful who their children are talking to, who they're interacting with and who they're adding to their friends list.

"Obviously you get good and bad people in all walks of life but you've just got to be aware of who you're speaking to and don't pass on any details. For the most part, it's common sense but it can be a bit daunting for people who aren't used to those consoles.

"With children talking to people in game, just be mindful that they are then carrying on these conversations away from the game. So what you don't want is children being taken from the game by someone who you don't know they're speaking to, on to this separate app that's secure and private."

You can read his blog and more advice on each potential device here.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Greatest Hits Radio app.