Is Nintendo's Pokemon Go world's most dangerous game?

It's the latest craze to take children, adults - and, seemingly, the entire world - by storm. But it appears that Pokemon Go - the app which allows players to fight digital monsters in the real world - is already prompting serious cause for concern.

Despite having been available for download for just a matter of days, the game has already been linked to anecdotes of broken bones, dangerous driving and other serious injuries, as users follow the creatures across roads and fields with their eyes glued to their screens.

But, more worryingly, there are now claims that the app could be used for something more sinister altogether - such as paedophiles using the 'lure' element of the game to trap distracted children. One element of the game sees users putting a 'lure' on a certain area, which causes Pokemon to appear in that position, attracting gamers to the area. Fearful of where this could lead, one woman carried out an 'experiment', which saw her post a 'lure' to see how many people turned up. Within moments, several children had arrived at the chosen - most without parents - having ignored their usual 'stranger danger' radar in pursuit of the monster. "It occurs to me that someone could use this for nefarious purposes," the user known as Robin wrote. "There's a sense of camaraderie that is built up around this game. The kid I just played with definitely lost his stranger danger sense."

There are also concerns that opportunist thieves are using the game to track down vulnerable victims, using the lure technique to draw would-be victims to secluded areas. and any safety warnings issued by the developers took an even more terrifying turn when one us teenager stumbled across a corpse floating in a lake as she climbed over a fence to reach her desired spot. shayla wiggins, 19, reportedly found the body in the town of riverton, just days after the app was released. the local police said in a statement that the death appeared 'accidental in nature.'

Elsewhere, people have reported seeing distracted players wandering across roads without noticing oncoming traffic, while drivers have also been pulling over in dangerous spots to catch one of the sought-after creatures. Pokemon Go - a virtual treasure hunt - allows players to catch characters in spots such as a living room, back gardens, supermarkets, police stations and schools. Fans - known as Poketrainers - will start with either Bulbasaur, Charmeleon or Pikachu as their main monster, before walking around the real world and chasing the virtual characters as they appear in different locations on their phone screens.

The creatures hide in locations suited to their species. A water species such as a 'magicarp' or 'squirtle' will likely be found in locations where there is real water around, while others might hide in grass or in the air. As users move around the virtual map their smartphone will vibrate to let them know when a Pokmon is nearby. Gamers can then throw a 'PokeBall' at it in an attempt to capture the Pokmon and add it to their collection.

After players capture the creatures, they can then train their Pokemon on their phones and 'battle' them against other creatures at 'gyms'. They can all stop at different real-life local landmarks known as 'PokeStops', which is where most Pokemon appear. But the danger arises when the characters run away from their would-be captor - meaning users end up chasing the creatures through parks, roads and fields, often with their eyes glued to their screens.

Developers issued safety warnings about the game, urging players to keep an eye on their surroundings as they play the game. But, within just a few days, there were numerous reports of people tripping, stumbling and hurting themselves as they failed to spot obstacles. In one reported incident, Kyrie Tompkins fell on the pavement and twisted her ankle as she was wandering near her home in Maine, US. Then, last week, just four days after the US release, four teenagers were charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action for allegedly using the game to commit robberies in Missouri. Brett Miller, 17, Jamine Warner, 18, Shane Backer, 18, and a juvenile suspect, 16, were charged after 'luring' alleged victims to certain areas where police say they were then able to pounce.

Police said the teenagers 'baited' their victims with the 'lure' element of the game before robbing them in secluded areas. "The way we believe (the app) was used is you can add a beacon to a Pokestop to lure more players" the O'Fallon Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. Sergeant Bill Stringer said it was made possible because they are "not aware of their surroundings because they're staring at their phones". The department also added a warning telling people 'not to alert strangers to your future location' if using the app or have children. Police in Australia also felt compelled to warn residents about the dangers of the game, as people turned up in their droves to Darwin Police Station, one of the 'Pokestops'. They wrote: "Please be advised that you don't actually have to step inside in order to gain the pokeballs. It's also a good idea to look up, away from your phone and both ways before crossing the street. That Sandshrew isn't going anywhere fast."

Another user posted on Twitter that strangers were turning up at his house because it was a former church which featured as a stop in the game.

In association with Mail Today Bureau