Police in Staffordshire have launched a 'Cyber Grotto' to give parents advice on keeping children safe online at Christmas as they try out their hi-tech presents.
As the festive season draws closer, parents and relatives are planning which gifts to give their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Many lucky children will open their presents on Christmas Day to find a new games console, such as the PS4 or Xbox One, or a mobile phone.
As a result, Staffordshire police have launched a campaign to give out advice on how to protect children while they make use of their new technology.
Superintendent Carl Ratcliffe, head of prevention and early intervention, hopes the campaign will lead to fewer victims of crime, during what is always a busy period of the year for police.
He said: "This campaign has been months in the planning and I'm really excited to see it finally being implemented.
"Educating parents is a really important priority for the force as often a few simple steps can prevent children being exposed to unwanted attention online.
"I would encourage anyone who has children or cares for them to engage with the campaign and make sure you have the skills to protect them online.
"Christmas can be a very busy time for the police and the more we can do to educate people on how to protect themselves, their family and their possessions, then hopefully we will see fewer victims of crime.
"Unfortunately Christmas also sees a lot of people making poor decisions, fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
"Offences like violence and driving under the influence become more common and one bad decision can ruin Christmas for you and your family.
"Let's make Christmas a joyous affair and not one that changes lives for the worst."
As part of its Stay Safe Online campaign, Staffordshire police warn that although Christmas is a time for sharing, parents must be careful with what they are sharing online.
They say "It only takes 60 seconds to make sure your child's device is secure."
The force are also hosting Cyber Grottos in Burton, Hanley and Stafford town centres to give advice on keeping children safe online.
The dates, times and locations can be found here and for more information on their campaign click here.
