Hundreds of thousands of kids are about to break up from school for the summer holidays.

Most of them will be eagerly anticipating six weeks of uninterrupted holiday and play, their parents most probably racking their brains as to how they can keep their offspring occupied.

For some children, however, there is a very great risk that they might be taken – either abroad or right here in the UK – to have part or all of their external genitalia cut off.

The procedure, known as female genital mutilation (FGM), has been a prevalent socio-cultural tradition in African communities for hundreds of years.

But what most people don’t realise is that it’s a real threat to girls in the UK. Despite it being illegal since 1985 in Britain, and legislation in 2003 making it unlawful to carry out or procure FGM abroad, girls born to mothers who have undergone the practice are at risk of having to as well.

For some girls in this country these summer holidays will be unforgettable because of the brutal cutting of #FGM. See http://t.co/lbLjXCIWZE — ATLWanda (@ATLWanda) July 7, 2015

For some idea of the scale, in March alone this year the NHS treated 578 girls in England for FGM-related symptoms.

And the most dangerous time for girls to undergo the practise? Summer.

(Matt Rourke/AP)

A team from Coventry University has attempted to address these worrying figures by developing an FGM app that was rolled out nationally today at Westminster.

Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Gender Equality Nicky Morgan, who attended the launch, said: “Until recently this harrowing practice too often remained in the shadows. Too often it was kept a secret, despite the unimaginable and lifelong suffering, as we have heard, that it can cause.

“Cultural sensitivities can never be an excuse for FGM. I wish the app every success and, in the best possible spirit, look forward to the day when it’s no longer needed.”

By deploying new technology that will reach a gadget-savvy generation, the team are hoping that this most barbaric and longstanding of traditions can be successfully tackled.

Professor Hazel Barrett, director of the centre at Coventry University where the app was developed said: “We have hundreds of thousands of children looking forward to playing on the beach, playing with their friends, spending time with their family.

“However there are a group of children in this country who will also remember the holidays – but for the wrong reason. There are girls for who this summer will be a nightmare. It will be a summer where they have experienced physical pain and psychological upset. And this pain and suffering will last a lifetime.”

The team were given NSPCC backing and £8,000 from three charitable trusts to come up with the app. Once designed, it was piloted at the Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry, where students gave feedback as to how it could be improved.

One of these suggestions was to add a glossary, because the young people testing it wanted to be able to talk with confidence about an issue that is usually shrouded in secrecy and shame.

The final version covers everything from basic questions such as ‘what is FGM?’ to confronting the beliefs associated with the continuation of the practice. There are facts, quizzes, details on where young girls can go to get help and the NSPCC’s FGM advice line at the touch of a button.

The app’s menu bar is displayed on a tablet (Coventry University)

User privacy is paramount: the name “Petal” was deliberately chosen to be discreet (it could just as well be a dating or fashion app), there are few images and the tabs – “About”, “Facts”, “Take Action” – could be about pretty much any cause.

A “close” button can shut the screen down quickly if people don’t want others to see what they are looking at, and for devices with movement sensors the app will close when the screen is shaken.

And it’s easily available. Free to download and use, the app can be accessed on phones, tablets and computers. In other words, a young girl at risk of undergoing FGM who can’t afford the latest iPhone won’t be barred from getting hold of the app – she can use it on a computer at school or a library browser.

The app contains short films for people who want to learn more about FGM but don’t want to use a text-heavy app (Coventry University)

Minister for preventing abuse and exploitation Karen Bradley said: “This app will provide a safe and private space where young people can learn about FGM.

“I know only too well the power of technology to harm young people. To see it used to protect and support them is therefore hugely welcome”

Nicky Morgan speaks at the launch of the UK’s first FGM app (Coventry University)

And Nicky Morgan added: “We so often hear about the pressures that technology can place on young people, about the risks that it subjects them to…But technology can also be a force for good and that’s what we see this morning…This app couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Today’s launch follows orders by the Prime Minister to urgently introduce new measures before the summer holidays, when it is harder for local authorities, schools and social services to monitor and protect those at risk when children are away from school.

David Cameron spoke about FGM at the Girl summit in 2014 (Oli Scarff/PA)

The painful recovery of young girls who undergo the practice during this time can be more easily concealed, and, once returned to school, children often have a new teacher who doesn’t know them and may not be able to spot the signs that something has happened.

The new measures, currently being fast-tracked through Parliament, will enable local authorities, social workers or police to apply directly to courts to ensure that any individual they suspect of trying to take someone abroad for FGM will have to surrender their passport and other travel documents with immediate effect.

NSPCC head of helplines John Cameron said: “FGM is a barbaric practice and it is important for young girls have access to information and know where to seek help – which is why we welcome this new app.

“We know from the adults contacting our helpline that children are taken abroad in the summer months for FGM and we have to ensure they do not suffer in silence. We need to make parents understand the lifelong impact this hideous procedure has on their child and that FGM is child abuse.”