A regional daily is heralding a victory in an internet safety campaign it launched following the high profile death of a 17-year-old girl after she met a man online.

The Northern Echo started ‘Safety Net’ after the tragic death of Darlington College student Ashleigh Hall who was discovered in a ditch in Sedgefield in October.

This week the government announced that every child over the age of five will be taught about internet safety as a compulsory element of the school curriculum as part of a new Click Clever, Click Safe initiative.

Children’s secretary Ed Balls wrote a lengthy exclusive piece for the Echo about why the government was launching its ‘Green Cross Code for the internet’.

“The circumstances that led to the tragic death of Ashleigh Hall will have resonated with every parent,” he said.

“Everything I have heard about Ashleigh is that she was a typical 17-year-old girl, funloving and kind, caring and considerate.

“It is every parent’s worst nightmare and underlines the need to keep children and young people safe online, something I often hear from parents.

“And it’s why The Northern Echo’s Safety Net campaign is so important.”

Other measures drawn up includ: 140 internet sites, including Google and Bebo, to be independently reviewed; all 270,000 computers issued under the government’s ‘Home Access’ scheme will have a panic button to report inappropriate content; and parents will be able to access a one-stop shop website for internet safety.

Echo editor Peter Barron blogged: “The Safety Net campaign’s central aim was to establish internet safety as part of the national curriculum.

“It is also worth underlining the proactive approach taken to this issue by Darlington Borough Council following the Ashleigh tragedy.

“The authority…..reacted swiftly and their reward is a safer digital environment for children.

“It is my hope that Ashleigh’s family find some comfort in the progress that has been made in their daughter’s memory.”