A QUESTIONNAIRE sent to thousands of 11 to 18-year-olds across Wiltshire revealed seven per cent had agreed to meet up with people through internet chatrooms.

Up to 11 per cent of those quizzed felt "uncomfortable" by chats with other users.

Wiltshire Police and Wiltshire County Council's Youth Development Service uncovered the trend in a survey of 2,300 young people, designed to increase awareness of internet dangers.

Eight out of 10 youngsters polled spend up to three hours on the internet, at least once or twice a week, with the majority accessing the web at home or school.

Only last Friday a 41-year-old paedophile from Corsham, who preyed on two young girls, admitted downloading child porn and speaking to other young girls through internet chatrooms.

Wiltshire Police launched its Who's Web Wise? campaign

this month, aimed at flagging up the risks of using online chatrooms.

A six-point plan on how to stay safe has been drawn up in connection with the campaign, in response to high-profile cases of paedophiles using the internet to trap their victims.

The six-point plan includes:

l Never give out your name, age, photos or personal details like which school you go to.

l Don't take people at face value.

l Never arrange to meet anyone you have met on the internet without telling a parent first. The meeting should always be in a public place.

l Always stay in the public areas of a chatroom.

l Do not open attachments or files unless you know or trust the person who has sent them.

l Never respond to anything you find disturbing. Save it, print it, log off and tell an adult.

Sgt Roger Bull, of Wiltshire Police's community safety partnership, said: "The internet can be fun and educational but it also allows the young access into an insecure world of cyber space where they can communicate with strangers who may project a false image of themselves," he said.

"We want to help young people realise the importance of staying safe in chatrooms."

Ian Cook, of Wiltshire County Council, said: "We welcome this initiative, which reinforces the messages we have shared with young people throughout Wiltshire schools, youth clubs and libraries, to ensure they are aware of the dangers of ignoring this advice."

To link up with the campaign, police are offering children the chance to enter an on-line quiz, for the chance to win one of two personal computers, donated by Fujitsu Siemens.

Entry forms can be found on www.wiltshire.police.uk and need to be submitted before July 30.