A SOUTHAMPTON school has issued a warning about "concerning videos" circulating on social media.

Christopher Sykes, the deputy head at Bitterne Park School, sent a letter to parents following reports of pupils spending more time online in lockdown.

The letter says: “Whilst our young people have had vastly different experiences (in lockdown), there does seem to be some commonality in increased time spent online, whether this be via phones, computer gaming, tablets, or laptops.” 

The letter provided links to advice for parents about managing their child’s internet security settings and how to report content on websites such as Facebook and video-sharing app TikTok. 

This advice came “in light of recent concerning videos circulating on social media”, though the nature of the footage was not specified.  

Mr Sykes – who is also the school’s Safeguarding Lead, warned parents to “keep an open dialogue with [their] child about their time online and report any concerns to the Head of Year at their child’s school. 

Hampshire Police advises parents and guardians to report any online safety concerns involving a young person to the police or the CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) agency which is a law enforcement branch which aims to keep children and young people safe from sexual exploitation and abuse.