An online safety consultant has urged parents to search for their child online to ensure their image is not being used inappropriately.

It comes after an STV News investigation found images of pupils from eight primary and secondary schools across the country were posted on a website used by paedophiles.

Speaking on Scotland Tonight, Jess McBeath from the UK Safer Internet Centre advised parents to "prune" their social media accounts and review their privacy settings.

She said: "You need to be pruning your social media, online presence, checking your privacy setting.

"Search for yourself online, search for your child online and see what comes up. You might be surprised."

She also recommended parents ask extended family to consider how they share images of their child online.

"Share whatever rules and boundaries you've got in your own family, share them with your extended family, talk to others parents of children that your children play with," she said.

At present, there are no nationwide rules on how schools distribute images of pupils taken on the property or at a school event on their social media accounts and websites.

Obtaining consent from a child to post their image online has become a grey area, with parents choosing to share images of young children without their permission.

Also speaking on Scotland Tonight, computer and network security expert, Gerry Grant added: "If there was a standard [policy] it might help but there will still be people that will try and change rules and find ways around them."