YOUNG people are being urged to be responsible when online as part of Safer Internet Day.

The aim is to tackle online criminality such as grooming, the sharing of indecent images, hacking and fraud.

Merseyside Police want to help people stop becoming victims of these crimes in the first place by educating children, teenagers and adults about how to stay safe whenever they are online.

Superintendent David McCaughrean said: "The internet is now part and parcel of our everyday lives and increasingly children and young people are relying on it to do school work, communicate and stay in touch with friends and family.

"Safer Internet Day is all about giving young people the know-how and confidence to both stay safe online and behave more responsibly online too.

"We would always advise that it a young person becomes uncomfortable or suspicious of someone else’s behaviour online then they should report it.

"Parents should also regularly monitor their child's internet activity and speak to them if they have any concerns.

"I want to emphasise that up to 80% of online crimes could be be prevented by people spending time taking control of their online profiles and activity and that of their loved ones instead of letting it control them.

"The website - saferinternetday.org.uk – allows people to take a quiz to see what they would do if they had concerns about a friend’s privacy settings, a fake profile, a suspicious friend request, or online bullying.

“If we all take just a minute or two out of our day to learn a little more about this issue we can all help make the internet a safer and more pleasant place to socialise and share our experiences with others."

For more information on staying safe online go to www.saferinternet.org.uk