Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore is working with two schools in Beccles and Bungay as part of a new initiative to keep young people safe on the internet.

The open sessions will be running at St Benet’s Primary School in Beccles and St Edmund’s Primary School in Bungay, to raise awareness of the risks associated with the internet and to provide advice on how to keep safe.

Dr Emma Bond from University Campus Suffolk will be delivering the presentation along with detective superintendent Steve Mattin, who is based at Suffolk Constabulary’s new Cyber Crime Unit in Halesworth. Mr Passmore will also be present at the session in Bungay.

While primarily intended to help parents to keep their children safer, the sessions are also open to anyone who is concerned about online safety.

Mr Passmore said: “While the digital world has brought many benefits, unfortunately this amazing innovation is increasingly being used to commit serious harm. Our young people are in danger of being groomed or bullied online, and they are also being criminalised as a result of sharing explicit images, all of which can seriously affect their health, academic achievements and limit their career prospects.

“Suffolk Constabulary and partners are seeing more cases associated with the online world which I am deeply concerned about. I am very pleased that St Benet’s and St Edmund’s schools are committed to working with parents to raise awareness of the risks. I urge everyone to think ‘digital hygiene’ when they are online.”

The sessions are taking place at St Benet’s Primary in Ringsfield Road tomorrow at 5.30pm, and at St Edmund’s Primary in St Mary’s Street on Thursday, October 22 at 5.30pm.

Ivan Mulinder, headteacher of the schools, said: “I have become increasingly concerned about the serious consequences of poor digital hygiene. We want to work with parents to ensure that all of our pupils are aware of the risks associated with the Internet and how they can help to keep themselves safe.

“I am delighted that this is now a key strand of the new Ofsted inspection framework and I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Tim Passmore and Emma Bond on this initiative. We look forward to welcoming parents, teaching professionals and anyone else from the wider community who is concerned about cyber safety.”