Catherine Tate has voiced an online safety video as research shows less than 20% of parents talk to their children about staying safe on the internet.

The animation, Safety advice from a 10-year-old, has been released as part of an NSPCC and O2 campaign urging parents to make online safety as high a priority for their children as road safety.

The mother-of-one said: “As a parent you teach your child how to cross the road and warn them about ‘stranger danger’ but it can be harder to know how to keep them safe online – especially when the speed with which new apps and games appear outwits even the best of us.

“The NSPCC and O2’s Share Aware campaign is a bit of a life-saver because it helps parents get to grips with all that Snapchatting, Whatsapping, and video-chatting and it makes chatting about their life online easy. It’s a simple guide on how to teach your child to stay safe online and it does all the hard work for you.”

The charity, who's south east service centre is in Gillingham, aim to end child abuse in the UK and work with children who have been abused to rebuild their lives.

A recent survey by YouGov of parents of eight to 13-year-olds found only 19% are frequently discussing the topicwith their children.

The findings also revealed that just 17% of parents talk to their child about changing the location settings on the apps and sites they use, which could leave them vulnerable to being targeted by online abusers.

Research by the NSPCC and O2 found that 80% of children think social media companies are not doing enough to protect them, making the role of parents even more vital in keeping them safe from online abuse.

Claire Lilley, Head of Child Online Safety at the NSPCC said: “Parents are the first point of call for a child when it comes to staying safe in real life and this is no different when it comes to their online life. Talking to your child and exploring their online world with them is the best way to keep them safe but it can be hard to keep up to speed with the internet and some topics can feel more difficult than others.

"Share Aware can help by giving parents the tools and confidence to have regular and informed chats with their child so they can get the best out of the internet.”

Parents can visit the Share Aware website for advice and tools to help them talk about the issue.