A BASILDON school has issued a warning to parents about a potentially deadly social media game which is sweeping the country.

Woodlands School has written to parents about the Blue Whale Game - a set of daily 'tasks' the game master posts on social media for 50 days, including self harm.

Worrying reports have suggested players are given a final task of killing themselves.

Woodlands School proactively warns parents about potentially dangerous sites and apps through letters home, and the latest from the school's deputy head, David Wright, says: "We have discovered a game through the police that we feel you should be aware of.

"As you already know from my previous letters, we have a duty of care for our pupils and are striving to do all we can to ensure that you are given the latest information to help safeguard our young people.

"It is called The Blue Whale Game and is played via many social media platforms. Players are given a master who controls them for 50 days and each day they are given a task to complete.

"One task might be to wake up in the middle of the night and they steadily escalate with another take being for them to scratch a blue whale somewhere on their body.

"On the 50th day the masters behind the game instruct the young people to commit suicide and sadly across the world some have done this.

"Please continue to support us in keeping all our young people safe and should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me."