Far from advising parents to keep children away from virtual-world sites such as Club Penguin, experts say that there is much to be gained from early exposure to the internet.

Angela Holland, spokeswoman for Parentline Plus, an advice helpline, said: “The good thing about getting them online early is that they are more receptive to the safety message than when they are teenagers, so it is a great chance to talk to children about not giving out personal information.”

Club Penguin, which targets 6 to 12-year-olds, is popular among parents because it carries no advertising. But there are fears that it may become more commercial under its new owner, Disney.

Stacey Fresco, 37, was opposed to letting her daughter Sophie, 9, join Club Penguin, but other parents persuaded her to give it a go. She said: “Initially I was not keen at all to let Sophie go on a site like this because of the safety implications. What persuaded me was that it is one of the few sites the school allowed the children to use while they are there.”

She is concerned that Disney may use Club Penguin to market its other goods. “It is a really nice site at the moment so I am a bit concerned that Disney may try to use it to encourage children to buy a load of Disney toys.”

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