A national programme to help primary school pupils stay safe while using social networking sites is to launch later this year.

'Safe' brings together some of the UK’s leading safety organisations and has been developed with teachers for use in the classroom.

Teachers can reward pupils for completing the programme with certificates and badges plus gaining accreditation for their school.

Teesside mum Sharon Box told us it's a positive step - but younger children shouldn't be allowed to use social networking websites at all:

"It’s the safety of the kids really, because you don’t know who’s looking at their photos," she said.

"I wouldn’t let my little boy go on Facebook, I’d protect him."

We also spoke to Vicky Hutchinson, a teaching assistant at St Patrick’s Primary School in Stockton.

"Although we don’t all agree that primary school kids should be on social networking sites, they're going to go on them whether we like it or not," she explained.

"So it’s going to be a good idea to teach them more about safety."

The creators of 'Safe' say it embraces the positive opportunities afforded by the internet, but also encourages young people to think about how they share their content on the web.