School pupils have allegedly been sharing child abuse images of young children and babies via Snapchat.

Police are investigating the claims uncovered at Brune Park School in Gosport.

Teachers have said pupils were using the social media app to access the images.

A Hampshire police spokesperson said: "Police have been made aware of a concerning social media group being accessed by school children in the Gosport area.

"This is a serious incident and investigating officers will be working closely with local schools to follow up all lines of enquiry and ensure the ongoing safety of pupils.

"We are in regular contact and work with schools across the borough to address any issues and concerns that may be impacting the welfare of pupils, and provide support and resources which help young people understand the risks they may face online."

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Snapchat told the BBC that such material had 'no place' on its platform.

Gosport and Fareham Trust told the broadcaster that the allegations were concerning.

The school had warned parents on Thursday. The allegations were uncovered when teachers ran events promoting safer use of the internet.

A Hampshire police statement added: "If you are a parent and are looking for advice on how to broach sensitive subjects with your children, you can make use of the resources for parents on the Safe4Me website here: https://www.safe4me.co.uk/parents

"Safe4Me provides a wealth of resource to help parents, carers and education professionals address a number of issues from sexualised behaviour and online safety, to drug use and knife crime.

A Snapchat spokesperson said: “These reports are horrific and our safety team is urgently investigating.

"Any sexual abuse of children is horrendous and has no place on Snapchat. When we are made aware of this type of content - either through our proactive detection technology or reporting -  we remove it immediately, terminate offending accounts and work with the police to support their investigations.

"We also provide parental controls so parents can see who their teens are talking to on Snapchat and have conversations about how to be safe online.”