A university student has been arrested by Dubai Police for asking children to send him private pictures of themselves via the hit video game Fortnite.

The 25-year-old lured in the youngsters by offering them an online currency which could be used to buy particular characters, rewards or battle passes in the survival adventure.

Officers acted after a parent spotted what was happening and alerted authorities. As many as 10 children, aged between nine and 10, are thought to have been targeted.

Fortnite is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. Three versions are available, with the latest involving up to 100 players who fight it out to become the last person standing.

It has an in-game messaging service which police say the student used to ask children to send him pictures of themselves.

Under UAE law, the suspect could face up to five years in jail as well as a fine of up to Dh1 million.