THE region’s children are still taking risks on the internet despite warnings about predators, youth workers say.

Children’s charity Barnardo’s said youngsters have admitted meeting strangers they talked to online.

The charity is working in 15 secondary schools in Darlington, Teesside and Newcastle to educate young people about online grooming and sexual exploitation.

Wendy Shepherd, Barnardo’s North-East children’s services manager, said: “What we are finding is that children and young people have thought about meeting someone they met on the internet.

“In some cases, they have even gone ahead and met that person.”