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The children's publisher Puffin is urgently contacting schools and local authorities across the United Kingdom after finding out that a website address printed in a popular book series for kids had been redirected by a adult content site.

The publisher has recommended educational libraries to take down the books after a URL featured in the Spy Dog, Spy Cat and Spy Pups series by author Andrew Cope was redirected to unrestricted adult content.

The publisher, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced it had temporarily halted sales of the books in question, which are targeted toward children aged 7 to 12, and was working to have libraries withdraw the books from their shelves.

A number of educational institutions in England confirmed that they had been sent notifications warning them to the risk, including a caution that the redirected site included unsuitable content featuring children's characters.

One school in a southern county informed parents: “We have been made aware of a safety warning associated with the children's book series Spy Dog/Pups and Spy Cat authored by the author.

“The publications include a link to a website to learn more about the character. The address has now been hijacked and takes users to a pornographic website with no restrictions.”

A announcement issued on behalf of the author and publisher stated: “In some editions of the Spy Dog, Spy Cat and Spy Pups series there is a mention to the author Andrew Cope’s previous site for the series, which was operated by him.

“We believe an external entity has recently taken control of the domain name and is using it to show a different website with unsuitable material. This website is not associated to the publisher or the author. We are asking people to avoid the website and ensure that kids do not visit it as well.

“We are treating this with urgency and are responding on this matter as a top priority through the correct procedures to get this website removed. This is an complex and complicated procedure and will require time. We have temporarily stopped the selling and shipping of the publications whilst we address this situation.”

The first book, the first in the series, was published in 2005, featuring Lara, a canine prepared by the government agency and working undercover with an unsuspecting family. Eleven more books followed, and from 2009 until 2015 further series of Spy Cat and Spy Pups related books were published.

Hampshire’s school library service sent out a alert to parents about the unsafe material on the site. “If you have any of these books in your house, you might want to take a look and take the appropriate action,” it said.