A THURROCK primary school and its pupils have played a key role in launching a new service which is expected to help children avoid drugs gangs and stay safe.

In June last year, Holy Cross Catholic Primary School in Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon played a pioneering role in a pilot project to create 'Dot Com Digital', a partnership between Essex Police and national charity Dot Com Children's Foundation.

From those small beginnings the scheme has grown and after it was rolled out for engagement with schools after Christmas, more than 1,000 across the country have now signed up to take part.

Dorothy 'Dot' Com – who helps children avoid the dangers of county lines gangs, online grooming and other dangers. is a children's character who helps young people tell teachers about their worries.

Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington and 'Dot Com' Founder Sharon Doughty were present at the official launch of the programme today (Thursday, 23 January) and revealed how local officers and teachers are helping children avoid criminals online.

They were streamed live to 1,363 schools from as far afield as North Wales and North London from Bett 2020 at Excel London, the world's biggest teaching and education technology fair. Many other schools around the world also received the online feed.

Essex Police worked with teachers and pupils at Holy Cross to identify the biggest risks facing young people and develop an online programme that helps them.

"Dot Com Digital takes an innovative approach, using the latest technology and the imagination of a group of children to help them and their peers recognise the signs of grooming, exploitation and bullying and have the confidence to seek help," said Chief Constable Harrington.

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"'Dot Com', is an acknowledgement by the Police in Essex and by local teachers that we must all work together to protect young people and to tackle exploitation in all its forms before it takes place."

You can read about Holy Cross's initiative in June last year via the website of our predecessor Thurrock news outlet the Thurrock Independent via the red button below.

And the video with this story explains the project, with an introduction by Heather Westrop Assistant head teacher at Holy Cross and features local children.