Pokémon GO's safety 'must be improved' before UK release date

One of Britain’s leading children’s charities has called for the security features of Pokémon Go to be reassessed before its UK release.

The NSPCC said it feared "basic safety standards appear to have been overlooked" ahead of the imminent arrival of the gaming app.

Players across the world have been hooked to their handsets since it was launched as they try to capture Pokémon characters in real world scenarios.

But the phenomenon has sparked safety fears after the charity said it is worried unsuspecting children could be targeted via the app’s geolocation feature.