Parents who allow their small children to run naked on the beach should think twice about it, according to expert advice.

It is not just sun exposure they should be concerned about but the possibility of photos ending up in the wrong hands.

“Anyone could be around watching or taking photos, whether they have smartphones or not,” said a spokeswoman for Appoġġ, the national agency for the support of children and families.

“However, the use of smartphones has made the matter worse as people can now take photographs of naked children and distribute them.”

And it’s not just at the beach that parents should be careful. The advice is: better to be safe than sorry – keep your children clothed.

Schools are increasingly teaching children about how to prevent the possibility of abuse, so it is important for parents to not only tell them that they should cover their private parts but also to practise this on the beach, the spokeswoman said.

Anyone could be around watching or taking photos, whether they have smartphones or not

The issue was brought up in a discussion started by a mother-of-two on Facebook page The Salott. She posed the question after seeing a boy and a girl, aged around five, running about on the beach and swimming naked.

Most of the participants in the discussion agreed that children should be clothed when at the beach, with some pointing out that it was also unhygienic to run around naked.

The spokesman said that, for the purpose of distribution among paedophiles, it really made little difference whether children were naked or not.

But at least parents have control over whether photos are taken of clothed or naked children, “so we should control what we can control. A paedophile may be interested in other things, other than children who are naked. But pictures of barely clothed children are easily available, while pictures of naked children are only available through abusive behaviour, illegal download or by taking photos of unsuspecting children and their families.

“This is why it is wise to keep children clothed or wearing swim suits when at the beach.”

The spokeswoman stressed it is never justified, and plain illegal, to take photos of naked children.

The Child Protection Services provide social work support and follow-up, counselling services and referrals to the police where necessary or when requested. Call Supportline 179.