Police message as West Lancs goes Pokémon Go crazy
IT IS the craze that’s taking the globe by storm but Pokémon Go has prompted police to issue advice about how to keep safe while trying to catch them all.
In a post to their Facebook page, Skelmersdale police offered a list of warnings to budding Pokémon trainers.
Police Community Support Officer Dave Benson said that the tips on staying safe occurred to him “whilst out on patrol avoiding the Pokémon zombie influx” in Skelmersdale.
The first tip was to “stay aware of your surroundings and keep a emergency battery pack with you”.
PCSO Benson also warned gamers to beware of “lures”, which are special areas that can be set up by app users to attract rare Pokémon.
The Facebook post said: “Be careful going to a Pokéstop with a lure set off, this may not just be attracting Rattatas but people looking to steal your phone!”
The final crucial warning was about attempting to play the augmented reality game while in control of a vehicle: “Please, please do not Pokémon and drive! The potions you have collected will not revive you!”
After offering these important pieces of advice, PCSO Benson added: “It’s great to see so many people out walking and talking to each other at Pokéstops and gyms. There are a lot of dogs getting extra walks the past few days!”
Pokémon Go launched in the UK on last week to the delight of children and big kids alike.
The augmented reality game allows users to travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon by catching the cartoon creatures on their smartphones and tablets in their local area.
To play, users simply have to make their way around their streets and parks collecting Pokémon to train up and battle with.
The game is determined by the users geographical location and characters can be found in their natural habitats, so if you walk past a body of water you might be able to capture a water Pokémon.
If you go past a forest you’re more likely to find grass or bug types.
However, the huge success of the game has led to these warnings being issued by local police expressing concerns over the safety of people in the virtual not concentrating on the real world around them and its risks.