OUR counsellors at Yorkshire Childline support children who have experienced abuse of all kinds, but in recent years we have seen an increase in the number of contacts based around abuse that originated online.

It's a problem that's been recorded by police forces across the UK too -  in the last four years police reports of child sexual abuse offences with an online element rose by 78per cent nationally. Figures by police in Yorkshire rose by roughly the same amount, but there's still a fear that the number of children and young people who have experienced this kind of abuse could be much higher, and haven't reported it.

It goes without saying that children should be able to explore the online world safely, and right now the Government is scrutinising an Online Safety Bill which could ensure social media is better regulated in the UK and offer more protection to young people. Sadly, however, we believe the proposed bill falls significantly short of the protections it is meant to deliver to ensure our children can be safe online. As it stands, the bill simply won't offer the protection children and young people deserve.

Research has shown that groomers target and contact children using social networks first, starting a relationship there before moving on to encrypted sites or messaging services. Unless tech firms can factor in this risk when designing sites and share information about offenders or potential threats to children's safety, they are putting children in harm's way. As it stands, the Bill doesn't cover that, nor does it treat facilitation of child abuse with the same severity as the illegal material it causes. It doesn't fix current gaps in child safety duty, ensure children can't access unsuitable apps, and doesn't hold senior managers accountable for their companies'' failure to tackle children's safety.

So what can we do? We've highlighted these problems to the Government, and we're continuing to advise on how the bill can be improved to ensure children's safety is at the heart of the legislation. We're also re-launching our Wild West Web campaign to push for social media regulation. We started Wild West Web in 2018 to highlight the need for more robust legislation addressing online dangers. We want senior managers at tech companies to be held to account, and make sure the voices of children and young people are heard, because as it stands, children at heightened risk of sexual abuse will receive less statutory advocacy than a customer of a post office or passenger on a bus.

We're calling on people to write to Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and call on her to make the Online Safety Bill as robust and protective as it can be. Sometimes we have a genuine opportunity to make a real difference, and when one of those chances come along, shouldn't we take it?