PARENTS have been warned by schools to check their children's social media use after an explicit video showing child sex abuse had circulated nationally.

One school sent a message to parents earlier this week after the video went viral after being posted on Instagram.

It said: "Over the last 48 hours numerous calls have been made to Merseyside Police by concerned parents, teachers and school safeguarding officers.

"The concerns involve children of all ages with access to Instagram and other social media messaging apps viewing a disturbing indecent video involving children."

The warning added: "It would appear that this video has gone viral and has been reported in the majority of forces countrywide in the same timeframe as Merseyside.

"Please ensure you are monitoring your children's activity and, if they use social media such as Instagram, that you are vigilant as to what they are accessing."

Merseyside Police said the matter was a national case, being investigated by Hampshire Police.

The Hampshire force confirmed a man from Stockport, has been charged with three counts of inciting a female aged 13 to 15 years to engage in sexual activity, three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child

Anyone concerned that a child they know has been a victim of online child sexual abuse, can report directly to CEOP via ceop.police.uk.

For more about keeping children safe from online sexual abuse visit thinkuknow.co.uk.

Additional support for children who don’t feel able to talk to a trusted adult is available from ChildLine on 0800 1111.