Pokemon Go: Shropshire teens go Poke-potty as they try to catch 'em all!

Spotted walking around Southwater and Telford Town Park, they are playing the smash hit game Pokemon Go, hunting for fictional creatures to catch and battle with their friends.

The release of the game in the UK has been long anticipated and gamers finally had their wishes granted when it became free for download from Android and iPhone app stores on Thursday.

And now, hordes of gamers are pounding the pavements in Shropshire as part of this virtual reality world.

The aim of the game is to capture, battle and train virtual Pokemon who appear in real-life locations through the phone's GPS system and camera.

It uses the player's phone and device to pin-point checkpoints, called Pokestops, and spot where the animated Pokemon characters are.

• Find out where Pokemon GO hotspots are here

Players have to walk around in the real world to find the creatures and can also increase levels or "evolve" their Pokemon the more they walk.

Despite the game not being available in Britain until now, thousands of players in the UK have already downloaded the app by changing their region settings or using unofficial app stores, a move which led to warnings about viruses or fraudsters hacking into phones.

Officers from West Mercia Police also issued warnings, calling for gamers to wait for the official release.

One user who is already into the full swing of the game is 21-year-old Alex Madden.

He says he has been out on late-night walks in a bid to find and catch new Pokemon in and around his home town of Shifnal.

Alex, who works for the Bond Group in Halesfield, said: "Pokemon was really popular when I was a kid and as soon as I heard about Pokemon Go I wanted to download it.

"Loads of my friends are playing it and we've been sharing pictures of Pokemon we have caught.

"I think Pokemon was a really big craze for people of my age group so I'm not surprised it has taken off so much." Shropshire locations that are down as "Pokestops" have also taken full advantage of their status.

Bassa Villa in Cartway, Bridgnorth, is now a Pokemon Go 'Pokestop', where customers can restock their Pokeballs.

Assistant manager of Bassa Villa, Ben Westwood, said: "There's two places either side of us which receive the Pokeballs, and our pub picks up two signals which is unusual.

"People are normally running out of battery so if they're running low they can buy a drink and re-charge their phones."

But the game, which has been causing a storm in Australia, New Zealand and the United States is not without its controversy.

The launch of the Pokemon Go app across the UK has been criticised by the NSPCC.

The launch has been accompanied by a string of safety concerns because of the exploration nature of the game and how that could be exploited by criminals.

The charity said it is concerned that "basic safety standards appear to have been overlooked".

The NSPCC said it is worried that offenders could target unsuspecting children by using the app's geolocation feature.

The RAC said the growth of the app means there is "yet another reason" for motorists to concentrate on their smartphones instead of the road in front of them.

In Missouri, America, armed robbers used the game to lure victims into a trap.

People have ended up in hospitals after chasing Pokemon into hazardous spots and agencies across America and Australia have warned people not to break the law or endanger themselves while playing.