A council in the south of England has advised parents not to let their children watch the Netflix show Squid Game, after reports children as young as six are copying its violent challenges.

The education safeguarding team from Central Bedfordshire council sent an email to parents and guardians in the district urging them to “be vigilant after hearing reports that children and young people are copying games and violence from hit new Netflix series Squid Game, which is rated 15”.

In the programme, indebted contestants play games for cash, but are shot dead if they fail.

Though many of the games featured on the programme require specialised weapons and equipment, some of which are violent versions of playground games such as marbles and tug of war which are easy for children to recreate.

Many children are not watching the show but are aware of it via viral challenges on TikTok, where social media users post their own versions of the games.

Some reports say children have been using physical violence in the playground to “punish” losers as a substitute for the player losing their life. Particularly popular is red light, green light – traditionally known as statues or grandmother’s footsteps in the UK – in which players try to reach a finish line while the gamesmaster’s back is turned. They must freeze on the spot whenever the grandmother/creepy Squid Game doll turns around.

This month a school in Belgium said children were beating up those who moved in lieu of shooting them, as in Squid Game.