Police in Pembrokeshire are being specially trained to recognise early signs of child abuse.

Officers will also carrying out child sex exploitation awareness sessions in schools.

The move comes as all Welsh police forces seek to target child sex abuse "at local, regional and national level".

On Friday, Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Children Board is to hold a Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation, which will see police and Dyfed-Powys staff in attendance.

March 18 is National Awareness Day for Child Sexual Exploitation.

Detective Chief Inspector Ifan Charles said: “It is vitally important that we gain greater knowledge and understanding of child sexual exploitation in order to effectively target activity at local, regional and national level.

"Police officers are being actively trained to recognise the early signs that can identify children at risk.

"We all have a role to play in ensuring that children have a safe environment to grow up in.”

School Community Police Officers will deliver targeted age-appropriate sessions in schools as part of the wider All Wales School Liaison Core Programme.

Bethan James the Dyfed-Powys Police School Liaison Coordinator said: “It is vital that we raise awareness of child sex exploitation with our children and the staff working in our schools.

"Designated School Officers have been trained to deliver these sessions.

"They have the current, up to date knowledge and understanding in order to inform, prevent and protect our future generations.”

Social Media will be used on the day to further raise awareness, using the # CSE #CSEDay16 #HelpingHands hashtags on Twitter.

DCI Charles said: “We recognise the importance of investing in identifying and tackling CSE and have invested additional resources into this complex area of safeguarding.

"We continue to work with our statutory partners and voluntary groups and recognise that the support of the public is absolutely vital to achieving better outcomes.”

For more information please follow the link stop-cse.org