British police ask parents to be vigilant over ‘menacing’ cartoon character going viral

Parents in the United Kingdom have been asked to remain vigilant against a cartoon character called “Huggy Wuggy.”

The character appears harmless, but has been dubbed as a menacing figure who operates using a jump scare tactic. The police in South West England have warned that parents should stop their kids from watching videos that contain this character.

Watching these videos can have negative after-effects that include leaving children frightened and upset along with triggering nightmares the police have cautioned.

Developed by MOB Games, the cartoon videos of the character are slipping through parental controls and are making their way onto YouTube.

According to Beth Buxton, who has two daughters and a son, “He got to the stage where he didn’t know the difference between reality and gaming. He tried to climb up my bedroom window, saying he would die and come back to life telling me that’s what Huggy Wuggy does.”

“We have banned Roblox and put locks on YouTube. I have window locks being installed next week because he is still thinking about it. There are numerous terrifying characters in these games,” she told Sky News. “He was going into school talking about killing and guns as if it was happening at home.”

“In one of the videos, the bear asks the viewer to take their last breath. It is a very deceiving character, as hugs should be seen as something kind and love and because of its name is able to infiltrate firewalls and filters,” said Hartlepool’s West View Primary School in a statement.

Meanwhile, Catcote Academy in Hartlepool said, “Due to the name, young people may come across this character and watch a video expecting a kind bear. Also due to the name, it may slip through some internet filtering you may have in place to protect your child. Therefore, please be extra vigilant when your child is online.”