A TOP police officer has said he would back tighter regulations to protect children from abuse online.

Detective Superintendent Nick John, head of protecting vulnerable people at Thames Valley Police, made the comments as the force launched the second phase of its Hidden Harm campaign.

This part of the campaign, held in conjunction with the NSPCC, focusses on the dangers children face on the internet and how to keep them safe.

Det Supt John said: “[I would support] anything that can be done to minimise abuse online.

“How that would be managed is far outside the scope of my influence but I would back any call for tighter regulations around children who are vulnerable when online.”

The detective was speaking at an event at John Mason School in Abingdon.

Year 7 students at the school were shown a play, ‘It’s Not Okay’, in which four teenage characters each faced different forms of online abuse.

The performance, by a group from York St John University, highlighted a number of issues encompassed by the topic of online child abuse and was followed by question and answer sessions with the students.

Susannah Bispham, 12, said of the play: “We got a really good message about how to be safe on the internet.

"It made us aware of what we need to do.”

Rafael Collier, 11, picked up a valuable safety lesson.

He said: “When taking pictures and using them as a profile picture I would know now to be careful of showing my school badge.”

The campaign will draw attention to the various dangers online – but Det Supt John said he did not to make people afraid of the internet.

He said: “The internet is a huge part of most of our lives, especially for the younger generation and.

"While it brings a great deal of positive opportunities, unfortunately it can be misused by some people.

“This campaign isn’t about scaring people or telling them not to let their children use the internet.

"It’s about making everyone aware of the potential risks associated with children being online.

"Ensuring they can spot the signs that may indicate a child is being abused and educating everyone on ways we all can help to keep them safe.”

The internet was used to commit 183 child sexual offences in the Thames Valley last year, according to the NSPCC.

The previous phase of the Hidden Harm campaign focussed on tackling modern slavery.