Local MPs are demanding urgent action to protect children from online harm, including grooming by strangers and access to violent pornography, amid disturbing evidence of how the borough's youngsters are being targeted.

The Richmond and Twickenham MPs say repeated delays by the government in pursing the Online Safety Bill is leaving children vulnerable.

At the same time, they argue that the bill itself does not offer the safeguards against harm and exploitation that is needed.

Nub News revealed at the weekend how high numbers of children, particularly girls, are being targeted online by strangers with some being pressured to send pictures.

The Richmond study found that more than one in seven (15%) of young children – aged 10-11 - had received a picture that scared them or made them upset.

And some 7% of this age group said someone they don't know in real life had asked to see pictures of them.

Looking at older children, an astonishing one in four girls (24%) aged as young as 12 had been asked by a stranger to send them a picture. This rose to 54% of those aged 14-15.

The survey of Richmond children found 65% of boys and 45% of girls aged 14-15 had viewed pornographic images, much of it involving violence.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, Sarah Olney said the research findings from the survey of pupils in Richmond are 'deeply disturbing'.

She said: "Ensuring young people can safely access the internet is one of the most important issues we face, and for too long regulation in this area has been lacking.

"This is why the delay from the Government in passing the Online Safety Bill has been extremely frustrating. We must get this legislation signed into law as soon as possible, and help to ensure nobody feels unsafe or vulnerable online." 

Her Lib-Dem counterpart in Twickenham, Munira Wilson, said: "There is far too much illegal, harmful activity on social media including the grooming of children.

"The Government's Online Safety Bill will not tackle this effectively. We need clear laws that address specific, well-defined harms, based on strong evidence.

"I have been trying to amend the Bill so that all providers of online services are subject to child safety duties. Websites and apps should also be safe by design so that companies do not profit by pushing harmful content towards children."

Last week, the Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza said: "Let me be absolutely clear: online pornography is not equivalent to a 'top-shelf' magazine.

"Depictions of degradation, sexual coercion, aggression and exploitation are commonplace, and disproportionately targeted against teenage girls.

"I am deeply concerned about the normalisation of sexual violence in online pornography, and the role that this plays in shaping children's understanding of sex and relationships."