Sexting was the most viewed topic on Childline's website last year

A charity has stepped up education on sexting after an influx of calls.

Childline has seen a rise in the number of inquiries about the issue and wants to offer further support to children and parents.

The charity said sexting was the most viewed topic on its website last year and counsellors dealt with 2634 calls about it.

Almost half of parents are unaware that it is illegal for a child to take nude pictures of themselves, so Childline has also teamed up with the NSPCC to publicise the issue.

Matt Forde, head of NSPCC Scotland, said: "Many young people tell Childline that they feel pressured into sending sexual images of themselves and they don't always have the confidence to say no.

"Once a teenager sends an image of themselves they have no control over where it is shared or who sees it.

"This can lead to a child feeling humiliated and even lead to them being bullied or blackmailed."

The charity’s Zipit app, which was designed to help teenagers refuse requests for sexual images of themselves, has now been updated to include images and GIFs that they can send to deflect requests with humour.

Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen said: "The online world is full of opportunities for young people but also presents dangers.

"Senior police tell me that sexting has become normalised for far too many young people and can sometimes result in the, being abused or bullied.

"Many parents have told me they feel helpless when they try to protect their children against these dangerous pressures so I'd encourage families to take a look at Zipit and share it with people they know."