A pair of concerned parents have made an impassioned plea to Farnham councillors amid worries about the impact of smartphones on teens and children.

Roz Maree and her friend, Debbie, spoke to Farnham Town Council as part of an ongoing campaign to give youngsters a smartphone-free childhood.

They called on FTC to help them raise awareness of the campaign and movement within the town community, where possible, amid fears that countless kids and teens are losing their childhood because of handheld devices.

Roz said: “We would like parents to wait until their children are 14 before giving them smartphones, and 16 until they’re allowed on social media.

“We’re seeing mounting evidence of the impact that exposure to pocket internet devices is having on children.

“We’re asking if you would help us to raise awareness of our movement within the local community and issues we’re trying to address.”

The pair hailed the positives of restricting smartphone use among children, saying it protects mental health, nurtures creativity and encourages real world play.

While FTC’s powers are limited, councillors backed their campaign with mayor, Cllr George Murray, calling it an “excellent initiative” and offering to highlight and support their bid wherever possible.

Cllr Graham White highlighted the role of smartphones in the award-winning Stephen Graham drama Adolescence in claiming that parents sometimes “didn’t know what was going on” on their children’s devices.

Councillors heard most Farnham schools have banned or severely restricted mobile and smartphone usage with Weydon and Heath End secondaries having strict policies.

Weydon students are not permitted to use mobile phones, ear pods or smartwatches any time on site and should switch off and store devices in their bag, otherwise face confiscation.

Heath End students are allowed to keep them out of sight, but cannot use them in school grounds.