NEARLY half of parents in the South West think their child would be safer playing outside this summer than they would be online.

A YouGov study commissioned by safety advisors Get Safe Online revealed that 47 per cent of parents thought their children would be safer outdoors than on the internet, but 36 per cent of parents said they have no parental controls in place to limit what their youngsters can access online.

Of that 36 per cent of the 1,000 parents surveyed, 66 per cent said they would block inappropriate content and 49 per cent said they would monitor their children's access to devices.

Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, said: "Technology is now a given for children, but the online world changes so fast - we’ve seen that over the last few weeks with the mass uptake of Pokémon GO, which now brings the online world into physical environments and a whole new set of risks.

"Our children in the South West are growing up to be extraordinarily tech-savvy which does make it difficult for parents to keep control of what they are doing online.

"And we can see that many are worried about the risks their kids face when they are browsing, playing games and watching content on computers and other devices."

The research found that parents are educating their children, with 52 per cent talking through what to do if they are approached by a stranger online.

Less than a third, however, spoke to their child about how to handle cyber bullying.

Mr Neate added: "For all parents, technology can be a real blessing in keeping their children busy and entertained over the long summer holidays.

"And right at the start is a great time to make sure you have clear conversations with children about the risks of being online as well as look into some of the technology tools you can use to help."

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said: "Our young people are online more than ever before and are at an increased risk of threats online, including cyber-bullying, an awful crime which has far reaching effects.

"I pledged that within my first 100 days in office I would ensure that the force continues to educate residents on how to stay safe online and we are working alongside Get Safe Online to enhance the guidance and support we provide."

Further advice for keeping children safe on the web can be found at getsafeonline.org