Parents are still failing to monitor the websites their children visit, according to a new report from the moneysupermarket.com.

Their findings show that 46 per cent of parents don't check on the websites children are visiting, but on the plus side 21 per cent use some sort of filtering software such as Net Nanny, to control which websites their children can access. 34 per cent regularly check software security settings and 32 per cent have a sneaky look at their child's browser history, although net savvy kids can easily hide their tracks.

The main area of concern for parents are adult content sites, but they are increasingly worried about chartroom and social-networking websites.

The study also found that children aged three to 15 spend an average two and a half hours a week online, outside of school. This figure rises to four and a quarter hours for children aged 13 to 15. The study also shows that nearly a fifth, eighteen per cent, of children use a computer in their bedroom.