Brianna Ghey's mum thought dark web was 'a myth' before finding out how daughter's killer used it

The mother of Brianna Ghey has said she thought the dark web was 'a myth' before finding out how one of her daughter's teenage killers had been using it.

Scarlett Jenkinson had become fixated on the darkest crevices of the internet before she and Eddie Ratcliffe brutally murdered Brianna, 16, in Culcheth, Warrington, on February 11 of last year.

At the age of just 14, Scarlett began watching videos of torture and murder on the dark web, which she accessed a sophisticated piece of software which allows users to peel back a layer of security.

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Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Esther Ghey said it was "absolutely shocking that a young person can have access to the dark web".

She said: "Before this, I didn’t even really know it was a thing and it was a bit of myth to me. I just don’t understand how things like that exist in the first place and how young people can get access to such horrific things.”

Ms Ghey has called for a ban on children under-16 using smartphones with social media apps. She also wants companies to flag searches of inappropriate material to parents.

Ms Ghey told the BBC she believed many young people were "addicted" to their smartphones, including Brianna.

"The way that they’ve been created is sort of based on the kind of model that gambling is," she explained. "It’s having that constant gratification.

"You can pull your screen down and see how many likes you’re getting."

She added: “When I was a child, it was so much easier to parent. Now, with the introduction of smartphones and the access to the online world and social media, it’s just made everything ten times more difficult."

Ms Ghey said she did not believe the Online