More than a quarter of British children consuming news online say they have believed a fake or artificially generated story, according to research.

The finding from UK online safety charity Internet Matters that 27 per cent have fallen prey to fake news has prompted calls for children to be given better critical thinking skills to keep them safe online.

The proportion is greater among vulnerable children - which for this report included those who have qualified for special educational needs support or have an education, health and care plan, or those with a physical or mental health condition.

Around four in 10 of this group believed a fake or AI-generated story, compared with 23 per cent of children not deemed as vulnerable for this research.

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