GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police have been warning parents on social media about the need to talk to their children about sending naked pictures.

Recent reports have shown children as young as eight in the county have shared nude images of themselves via social media, mobile phone apps or over text.

Over the past week police have posted videos on both Facebook and Twitter which discussed why teenagers might be sexting/sending nude selfies, how to talk to them about it, when to be worried and what to do in the event that something goes wrong.

Digital Investigations and Intelligence Detective Inspector Brett Mallon said: "Sexting is now very common amongst teenagers, particularly through apps such as Snapchat, with research suggesting as many as one in five children aged 12 or over having done this.

"Children may think that sending these images and videos is harmless and won't go further than the person they've sent them to.

"However almost every single week, I've seen this go wrong, with the pictures shared onward and seen by everybody at school, friends or family.

"We've recently seen children as young as eight have their images shared across the internet in just a few hours, with limited control in stopping it.

"Too often sharing just one picture will lead to being blackmailed for more - or doing things that you don't want to."