Deaths prompt online abuse warning

Children's charities have warned of the devastating impact of online abuse as it emerged police are investigating claims that a teenager killed himself after being targeted in a blackmail scam.

Daniel Perry, 17, is thought to have been deceived into taking part in webcam chats and then blackmailed with the footage.

The apprentice mechanic is said to have believed he was talking to an American girl on Skype but was told by blackmailers that the conversations had been recorded and would be shared with friends and family unless he paid money into an account.

Daniel, from Dunfermline, Fife, died after falling from the Forth Road Bridge on July 15.

Police Scotland are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and urged anyone experiencing cyberbullying to report it to officers. The teenager had reportedly been urged to take his own life by anonymous users on the social media website Ask.fm about three months before he died.

The case follows that of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in Leicestershire, who killed herself after she was allegedly bullied online.

Children and young people's charities underlined the importance of parents and carers talking to their children about staying safe while using the internet.

Childline Scotland stressed that youngsters should not send people pictures of themselves or take part in video calls if they are not sure who they are speaking to.

The NSPCC said it was the first case they had seen of a young person being blackmailed via the internet.

Policy analyst Claire Lilley said: ''Children and young people love the internet to learn, explore and connect with people like them all over the world. 'But it's about teaching them that not everyone is who they say they are and teaching them how to respect one another in terms of their behaviour online.''