COUNCILLORS yesterday agreed to ban access to internet chatrooms in their libraries, amid fears the service could expose children to risk.

The executive of Blaenau Gwent county borough council overwhelmingly agreed to prohibit chatroom access by installing firewalls on all their public computers.

The software will prevent anyone from logging onto chatrooms - in the news lately following the alleged abduction of teenager Tammy Lane from Brynmawr.

The 15-year-old allegedly contacted the man charged with her abduction through an internet chatroom.

She eventually returned home of her own accord after going missing for more than a week.

Tajinder Pami, 30, of Ravenhurst Street, Highgate, Birmingham, denies unlawfully detaining the 15-year-old from her parents.

Councillor Nigel Daniels, executive member for leisure services, said of the ban: "Introducing the People's Network to Blaenau Gwent Libraries was one of the major success.

"Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge there is also a downside to its capabilities that we are not in a position to control. So in order to protect all our users we are denying access to sites such as internet chat rooms."

Gary Probert, senior civilian crime investigator with the Gwent Police cyber-crime unit, said: "There is a quote that the distance between a child and a dangerous child molester is only a couple of key strokes if you allow them use of the internet unsupervised."

l Torfaen council is the only one in Gwent to allow chatroom access on library computers.

Newport council introduced a ban on February 2, and Monmouth councils had already prohibited chatroom access.

A Torfaen spokesman said: "Anyone under the age of 16 must provide the library with signed parental consent before they can use the internet."