Pupils should be taught not to send explicit photos to others as part of sex and relationships teaching in schools, a former minister has said.

Conservative Maria Miller told MPs that one in seven women has experienced a threat to share a private image, and students should be told in schools that “they cannot do this”.

Speaking during a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill, the former women and equalities minister said the message must be reinforced to young people that they may never be able to remove such images from the internet “for the rest of their lives”.

Ofsted: Call to deal with school ‘rape culture’ firmly

Read: Teacher fury over ‘horrific’ sexual violence guidance

Behaviour: Four areas that the DfE wants schools to focus on

Speaking during a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill, Ms Miller said the message must be reinforced to young people that they may never be able to remove such images from the internet “for the rest of their lives”.

Addressing the Commons, Ms Miller said: “I fear this is something that is only going to be an increasing problem to us because of the way in which we have failed to tell young people that they should not be sharing intimate images of themselves.

“That not only is it against the law but that this will be potentially an image that they will never be able to remove from the internet for the rest of their lives - we have failed to tell them that.”

Ms Miller urged the government “to make sure that we are telling young people in our newly mandatory sex and relationships education” that “they cannot do this”.

She continued: “This is against the law and this is not something which is a normal part of growing up. And we still have not landed that message.”