THE mother of a South Cheshire schoolgirl tricked into setting up a meeting with an Internet pervert she met in a chat room has praised Coronation Street for its hard-hitting storyline.
Debra, a pupil at Sandbach High School, was just 12 years old when she fell for a 38-year-old man who posed as a 15-year-old boy in a chat room.
Fortunately, her parents discovered her plans to meet him and he was met off the train at Crewe by police.
Debra's mum, Sue said: 'I think it's excellent Coronation Street are doing this. It's a good way of bringing the hard facts into people's living rooms.
Not only does it make a great storyline for the show but it is sending out a very real message, warning people of the dangers. I applaud them.'
Coronation Street has joined forces with the Government's Internet Child Protection Task Force to highlight the potential dangers of chat rooms.
Through the character of teenage mum Sarah Platt, the long-running soap showed the perils facing youngsters who log on to chat rooms and make friends with total strangers.
In a thrilling storyline which gripped millions on Sunday night, Sarah discovered to her horror the dangers young people put themselves in when they arrange to meet their new mates in the off-line world.
In the soap a man in his 30s pretends to be a teenager, 'Gary', when Sarah meets him in a chat room.
His easy-going manner, interest in Sarah's life, coupled with a gorgeous picture he sends her of 'himself' soon has her falling head over heels and spinning her own web of lies about her name and age.
She agrees to visit him at home - despite a warning from her friend Candice.
Sarah's surprised when a good looking man in his 30s opens the door to 'Gary's' house but when he introduces himself as Gary's dad and explains Gary's out shopping with his mum, she agrees to wait inside.
However, it quickly becomes clear to Sarah that, despite his mild manner and friendly appearance, the man in the living room is 'Gary', a pervert who preys on young girls on the Internet and when she tries to leave he makes it clear he does not want her to.
What follows is a nightmare sequence of events which, say Coronation Street bosses, should serve as a warning to any teenager using chat rooms and particularly those planning to meet people off-line.
