Swanage Barnardo's 'graffiti' to highlight online grooming dangers

The graffiti artwork features young people on their mobile phones

Graffiti artwork has been produced to help highlight the dangers of online grooming.

Poole artist Trevor Loveys was commissioned to create the work near Swanage skatepark in Dorset.

The charity Barnardo's said child sexual exploitation affected "every age, every class and every gender".

It hopes the graffiti will raise awareness among young people "without them realising they are being educated".

Mr Loveys, also known as Dare, said he hoped the "bright colours" and imagery of three young people in his mural would help convey the message.

"They're looking at their mobile phones, then there's a computer screen in the background - lit up with some red eyes - a characterisation to highlight the dangers," he said.

Trevor Loveys created the mural near Swanage skatepark

Sara Munn, of Barnardo's, said adults who target young people through social media often pretend to be somebody they are not. Young people think they are having a conversation with another young person.

She said graffiti had been chosen for the work because "culturally it has been used to communicate social and political messages".

The project has been commissioned by Dorset County Council, Bournemouth and Poole borough councils, Dorset's Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill and Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).