BY HANNAH GRAHAM

RESEARCH from policy expert shows that parents are sending their kids back to school with hundreds of pounds worth of valuables in their bags, which is a 16 per cent increase since September 2014.

The research stated that 21 per cent of parents allow their children to go back to school with an average of £234 worth of valuables such as iPads, mobile phones and jewellery.

This presents not only a higher risk of theft, but it proves the need that our generation have for social media and their gadgets.

There are nearly eight million children aged between six and 16 in the UK, meaning there could be as much as much as £1.8 billion worth of valuables being carried by children in their bags.

Parents in the UK admit the average age they think their child is old enough to take their mobile to school is 11 years old.

When I was that age, I was more worried about whether I would miss the afternoon’s episode of Arthur after school, not taking selfies at school with my mobile for all to see, this shows how much has changed in just a few years.

And despite parents being more willing to let their children take their tech to school, a recent survey on parents showed that nearly a third of them don’t have any away from home cover as part of their insurance policies, with a further 19 per cent saying that they were unsure about what their policies cover.