A DUNDEE primary school teacher yesterday called for a series of popular websites to be shut down in a bid to stop bullies targeting children and school staff online.

Catriona Tait, a newly qualified primary teacher, said sites such as YouTube were now making teachers susceptible to attacks of “cyber-bullying”.

Speaking at the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) conference in Harrogate, Ms Tait said she backed a motion demanding that such websites be closed down.

The motion was proposed by Kirsti Paterson, from the PAT’s Highland and Western Isles Federation, who said one teacher had been the subject of a death threat posted online.

Ms Tait said one in four pupils had experienced cyber-bullying at some time but warned teachers were now becoming just as big a target with perpetrators posting mobile videos on websites, showing teachers as well as pupils being attacked or humiliated.

“Not only are the children and young adults in our care subjected to such torment, it would now appear that members of the profession are becoming victims of cyber-bullying,” she said.

“Just a few words entered into the video-sharing site YouTube and a number of short videos featuring members of staff were at my fingertips.

“Nobody should be subjected to such humiliation anywhere, let alone in their place of work,” she said.

“We demand the closure of such sites encouraging this irresponsible use of technology.”

Ms Paterson, added, “Nowhere is safe from cyber-bullying.

“It can carry on 24/7 through mobile phones and in multiple forms online.

“In the short term, confronting this problem must be the closure of sites encouraging cyber-bullying.”

However, a YouTube spokesman said the vast majority of people used the site responsibly.

“YouTube is part of the Government’s Cyber-bullying Taskforce, working closely with teachers unions and others.

“If teachers or anyone else see content that they think is inappropriate and breaks our guidelines then they can flag it and we will review it.”