A BROMSGROVE school has issued a warning to parents over a dangerous online craze which involves children digesting harmful washing machine tablets.

St John’s C of E Middle School Academy, on Watt Close, has sent parents a message urging them to be aware of the so-called ‘Tide Pod challenge’, which is popular in the US.

The craze, named after an American brand of laundry detergent, involves teenagers filming each other bite into washing machine capsules as a dare.

Deputy headteacher Alison Elwell said: “We take the welfare and safety of our pupils very seriously and are proactive with our safeguarding.

“A member of staff overheard some of our older children talking about the Tide Pod challenge, questioning if it would be dangerous.

“Obviously, we had the discussion about the possible harmful consequences with these children, but were concerned that others may also know about it.

“We took the decision to send a message out to parents, as often children are more aware of issues and challenges trending than adults.

“As a school we are not aware of any pupil who has tried the Tide Pod challenge, but wanted to ensure that our parents were informed so they could be vigilant and have a discussion with their children if they felt it appropriate.

“Some children can be heavily influenced by what they watch and read on the internet and whilst we would hope that none of our pupils would carry out such a silly act, by the nature of them being children, they don’t always think about the possible consequences of their actions.

“We therefore feel that by being proactive we are reducing the risk of any child attempting this challenge.”

Video-sharing website YouTube is also taking steps to protect children by removing videos of the harmful craze.

Tide has a dedicated safety section on its website which warns: "Laundry detergent packs may be harmful if swallowed and can irritate eyes."

To read their safety tips, visit tide.com/en-us/safety.