THE internet has opened up a wonderful world of opportunities in terms of education and communication. But it is also a monster which is proving more and more difficult to control.

In recent months, we have devoted many pages to our Safety Net campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers lurking on the internet. The campaign follows the murder of Darlington student Ashleigh Hall by Peter Chapman.

Today, our front page story reveals how a photograph of Ashleigh, taken without her family’s permission weeks before she was killed, appeared on the Google Street View website.

To be fair to Google, the image was removed swiftly once it was drawn to the company’s attention by The Northern Echo.

But the picture’s appearance raises further serious questions about whether Google Street View is a useful tool – or an unjustifable intrusion into privacy.

This latest controversy comes just days after visitors to Street View came across an image of a partially naked child in London.

We instinctively support Big Brother Watch in calling for Google to introduce stronger safeguards. But we also accept that it is difficult to see what practical safeguards could be established.

There are no easy answers but society must continue to debate these extremely important issues as it has with the advent of CCTV cameras in our towns and cities.

It must weigh up the pros and cons of the worldwide web; harnessing its power for good, while striving to limit its dangers.

It is a balance which will surely become increasingly difficult to achieve.