Police are investigating claims a man has been targeting hundreds of schoolchildren with topless livestreams on the social network Instagram.
Edinburgh Live reports that the stranger is thought to follow up to 800 schoolkids on the image-sharing platform - which has a minimum age requirement of 13 but does not carry out verification checks on young users.
One mum of an 11-year-old in Dalkeith, Midlothian, was mortified when her daughter said the stranger had asked her and her pals via a live video stream if they would like to 'see his banana'.
The parent then blocked the individual but he later joined onto her friend's account and started undressing in front of the girls.
She is among multiple parents who are understood to have contacted the police and their children's school to raise the alarm, amid concern he is targeting kids across the region.
The concerned parent told Edinburgh Live: "I think he must live here and the worry for a lot of parents is has he seen them in their school uniform.
"My 11-year-old daughter and her two friends, who are also 11, were on Instagram Live speaking to each other when this man popped up in the video chat and asked them if they would like to do 'the banana dance' and 'see his banana'.
"So my daughter shouted on me and I told her to block him.
"Then half an hour later he joined from her friend's live and as I looked he was undressing live on Instagram.
"I've had messages off a lot of parents to say that this man has seen their kids.
"So far it's mostly kids in the Midlothian area whose parents have contacted me and I've seen."
Education chiefs at her daughter's primary school are aware of the situation and have been telling pupils to stay safe when they go online.
A Midlothian Council spokesman said they were aware of an alleged online incident that happened on a personal device outwith school hours yesterday.
The spokesman added: "Staff at the school have spoken to pupils to remind them of the importance of keeping safe online. Police are investigating."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We received a report around 9.45am on Wednesday, 26 January of inappropriate conduct online.
"Enquiries are ongoing and at an early stage."
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