Important Safeguarding Notice: Children’s “Spy” Books

Dear Parents/Carers,

We want to make you aware of a recent issue affecting some popular children’s books by Andrew Cope, including the Spy Dogs, Spy Cats, and Spy Pups series.

Some editions of these books include a printed web address at the back few pages. This link used to go to the author’s website, but the domain is no longer under his control. It has since been taken over by another party and now leads to inappropriate adult content.

The publisher, Puffin, has paused sales and distribution of the books and is working with schools, libraries, and retailers to remove copies from circulation. They have stressed that the website has no connection to the author or publisher.

What this means for you:

• If your child has any Spy Dog, Spy Cat or Spy Pups books at home, please check the back few pages for website links and make sure they do not try to visit the site. We recommend removing this page of the book to ensure your child’s safety.
• If your child has a school copy of the book, please alert a school staff member and they will remove the page from the book.
• It is safe for children to continue reading the stories themselves – the concern is only with the outdated link.
• We recommend talking with your child about the importance of not following web addresses in books without checking with an adult first.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

With regards

Mrs S Hodder