NEVER talk to strangers, we tell our children. Dangers lurk away from the haven of home.

Yet many of the same parents who issue these warnings allow their children to talk to strangers every night, in the comfort of their bedroom.

Virtual reality it may be, but the hazards of the Internet chatroom are all too real. A string of recent court cases has shown how paedophiles use online anonymity to "groom" teenagers in their own homes.

It could hardly be easier. A chat in cyberspace is very different from a face-to-face or telephone conversation. Any man wanting to reinvent himself as a teenage boy has only to type in the words. The child he is targeting will never know any different - until they meet.

This is a growing problem. Police fear that one in five of the five million children who regularly use chatrooms has been approached by a paedophile. British courts see a case of child abuse resulting from a chatroom introduction every month.

In the light of increasing parental concern, Microsoft is pulling the plug on its Internet chatrooms. Children's charities have welcomed the move, saying it proves that something can be achieved despite the Internet industry's claim "that chatrooms are global and nothing can be done to stop their escalation".

Microsoft has shown commendable responsibility by taking this voluntary action. But there are an estimated 100,000 chatrooms still operating. Many of those aimed at youngsters are barely monitored and contain explicit sexual references.

Governments must find the collective will to outlaw unregulated chatrooms for children. That is the only way to protect them from the online prowlers.

Children can benefit enormously from chatting to their peers from around the world via the Internet. But they will only be able to do so in safety when sites are policed around the clock by responsible adults.

Until that happens, parents must keep a close eye on their children's cyberspace relationships.

Updated: 11:13 Wednesday, September 24, 2003