Parents have been warned about an inappropriate Tik Tok account set up using a County Durham primary school’s name and logo.
The account was being used to give clues to help users identify pupils as part of a ‘guess who’ craze, but there are fears it could be used for online bullying.
It is understood the account may have been accessed by youngsters who attend New Seaham Academy so headteacher Bernadette Dolan sent out a text message to parents to warn them of the danger it could pose.
In her message, she said: “It has come to our attention today that there is a very dangerous, inappropriate and public Tik Tok account which has the school’s name and the school’s logo as the profile.
“I urge you, in order to keep your children safe, to check urgently that your child does not have access to this Tik Tok account.
“From today's discussions with the pupils, a significant number have a Tik Tok account on their device, you should ensure that your child is not accessing inappropriate and dangerous content on these public Tik Tok accounts.”
TikTok, formed in China in 2016, hosts a short videos and is used to share, among other things, pranks, stunts, and dances.
Mrs Dolan said: “We have advised our pupils to unfollow this particular account and reminded them they need to be 13 years old before they can have a Tik Tok account.
“It is crucial we do everything we can to keep our children safe online.”
One parent said he welcomed the school warning parents about the potential dangers of the account.
He said: “I think it is right that the school clamps down on this sort of thing.
“It can be harmful to kids and can lead to bullying. It can have an impact on them.
“As parents it is difficult to monitor what kids are involved all of the time.
“It is fine for the school to raise their concerns, but ultimately it is for parents to police it.”
Mrs Dolan declined to comment further when contacted by The Northern Echo.
Read more: Meet the great great grandma who is celebrating her 105th birthday
---
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here