Police issue warning to Pokémon Go players in South Tyneside

Police are warning Pokémon Go players not to put their lives at risk.

The new mobile game app has been sweeping the nation and sending messages to gamers telling them where to find Pokemon.

However, some of the locations of the virtual creatures are located in places which could see the user potentially put themselves in danger, including by getting too close dangerous edges.

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Officers want to remind children and parents not to put themselves at unnecessary risk. The NSPCC has also released a guide for parents to keep children safer whilst playing on the app.

Southern Area Command Chief Inspector Paul Milner said: "Pokémon Go is a fantastic game, it gets people out and about visiting new places and is great fun and I want to make it clear that the last thing we want to do is spoil that fun for people. However, we are mindful that the school holidays are coming up and we know children will be playing the game and want to make sure they are safe.

"We've been made aware that some children may be putting themselves at danger by getting too close to cliff edges and we just want to remind both children and parents to make sure they keep a safe distance from dangerous edges.

"I've been reliably informed that you can still catch Pokémon from quite a distance and while they might not be as close as they would like it is important children are not putting themselves in danger."

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Moira Smith, lead councillor for Area Management and Community Safety in South Tyneside, said: "Pokémon Go is a popular phenomenon but it is important to remind people to use the app safely. People should be aware at all times of their personal safety while out and about enjoying the game.

"We would also encourage people to follow the simple rules about online safety when sharing information on the app."