Parents in Falmouth have been warned of a suicide challenge that is said to be currently circulating again on social media.

Falmouth School has sent a message to parents via its Facebook page, warning them about the so-called Blue Whale Challenge.

The 'challenge' dates back to 2016, but appears to have recently resurfaced around the country in the last couple of weeks, with schools in Cumbria and Northern Ireland also posting warnings this week.

In its post to parents yesterday, Falmouth School said: "[An] online social media challenge currently circulating called the Blue Whale Challenge.

"Messages are being sent to youths/vulnerable people requesting their personal information and then different challenges are set over the course on 50 days.

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"These challenges include watching scary movies, waking at certain times of night, engraving a whale into your skin, putting your head under water until you pass out.

"At the end of the 50 days you are told to commit suicide.

"If challenges are not complied with they threaten to release your personal information and threaten to kill you and your family.

"This challenge is being circulated on TikTok and Instagram."

The Packet has contacted the school and police for comments. 

Last year, however, there was some doubt cast over whether the challenge even existed.

Falmouth Packet:

The challenge is named after the blue whale

The BBC ran an in-depth report online into the origins of the 'challenge', which is said to have started when Russian teenager Rina Palenkova posted a selfie photo in November 2015 with the caption "Nya bye", the day before she took her own life.

Her death was discussed in a chat room hosted by a Russian social network, where teenagers shared scary stories - and this was closely followed by two further teenage girls taking their own lives, both of which had been part of similar online groups where posts about suicide had been made, along with numerous mentions of blue whales.

In May 2016 a Russian journalist wrote a piece claiming that there were online groups where 'players' would allegedly be set 50 tasks over 50 days and on the last day they were instructed to take their own life.

It was found that other teenagers that had died had painted pictures of blue whales, or posted photos of one on their social media accounts shortly beforehand.

The accuracy of this report has also been called into question - and whether the challenge is real or simply a myth remains a mystery.