Important Safety Tips for young people

Remember these tips to help keep safe and well:

• Don't answer the door if you are at home on your own.
• Don't tell anyone over the telephone that you are at home alone. Say that your mum will ring back, she's in the bath or any other excuse you can think of.
• Never give personal details when using internet chat rooms. Remember people are not always what they seem - someone pretending to be a 14 year old boy could be a much older adult.
• Recently a man appeared before the court in Shrewsbury and received a custodial sentence for inappropriate use of the internet involving children in chat rooms. It can happen anywhere.
• Always tell your parents or the adult taking care of you where you are going, how long you are going to be and how you can be contacted.
• If you get lost, go to a shop or place with lots of people and ask for help or find a police officer.
• Always travel in a carriage or part of a bus where there are other people.
• Never play in dark or deserted places.
• Always carry enough money for your return trip home and never spend it on anything else.
• Memorise your telephone number, parent's mobile number and address.
• Know how to contact your parents or a neighbour especially when they are at work.
• If you have no money but need to ring home in an emergency dial 100 and ask for a reverse charge call.