Worried parents have expressed their concern that their kids are being urged by online bullies to kill themselves.

Wendy Kane from Stevenston was shocked to find that her 14-year-old daughter Anika was receiving Snapchat messages urging her to hang herself and to cut her wrists.

The Auchenharvie Academy pupil was sent vile messages from a stranger, who told her: “Die, die, die” and “Everyone hates you. Kill yourself.”

Two other worried mums, whose children go to St Matthew’s Academy, also contacted our sister paper the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald concerned about their children being exposed to bullying.

Wendy said: “I’m so angry. The police have been informed. Bullying is not on after what happened at St Matthew’s. It seems my daughter is not the only one to get these messages.

“She never told me at first. She went to school quite happy then all of a sudden, the school phoned. Anika snapchatted it to a girl she knows from St Matthew’s and she told her mum.

“Her mum phoned St Matthew’s and then PC Hogg, the community officer at St Matthew’s, phoned Auchenharvie, then Auchenharvie phoned me. What would have happened had the school not phoned me?”

A parent of a St Matthew’s pupil, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We feel as if this is being brushed under the carpet.

“If they [the bullies] can’t get the children in the school, they can get them outside. I feel as if somebody’s got to do something.

“The wee ones that went to school this year, they’re getting bullied as well. They’re getting picked on because they’re wee. It’s so sad. They’re going to their guidance teacher and nothing’s done about it. “It’s heart-breaking, so sad.

“What message is all this sending to the bullies? They’ll keep doing it next week, they’re getting away with it.”

The concerns follow the recent deaths of two St Matthew’s pupils.

Rhiann Milne, 14, was found dead in an Irvine park and 13-year-old Joshua O’Neill passed away last week.

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “There is absolutely no culture of bullying across schools in North Ayrshire.

“To suggest otherwise would be completely unfair and untrue. Any individual issues identified are treated extremely seriously.

“We promote a positive spirit across our schools with dignity and respect at the heart of everything we do.

“If there are issues and pupils do encounter problems, our staff and counsellors are always available to offer guidance and support.

“The service is open to everyone at any time across all our primary and secondary schools.

“We also work extremely closely with respect me – Scotland’s anti-bullying service – to assist us further and help us prevent bullying and deal with issues as they arise.”