Imagine. . . A child without anyone to teach them how to ride a bike. A youngster with no one to take them to football. Or a child spending their day alone on a park bench.

These are the painful images at the heart of the county council's latest hard-hitting internet campaign, designed to recruit foster carers in Hertfordshire.

The series of 45-second videos put the focus on children who are alone and 'in care'- longing for the support or company of others.

And in each case, they end with a child looking into the lens of the camera, uttering the direct plea: "Help, I need somebody".

In one of the video clips, a young boy stands alone at a bus stop outside Hitchin Town Football Club, holding a football.

And as another boy walks past, chatting to an adult, wearing a football kit and carrying a boot bag, we hear his voice say: "I love football. And I wish I could join the same club as my friends.

"But I have no one to take me to training every week. No one cares."

In another, a young girl sits alone on a blue picnic bench – watching an adult encourage a child to ride her bike by the side of St Albans Cathedral.

"I wish I could ride a bike, but there's no one to teach me," says the voice of the girl.

"All my friends go out on their bikes with their families. I'm sad no one has time for me."

And in another clip, a girl sits on a block close to the cinema in Letchworth, listening to the excited chatter of a family climbing the steps.

She says: "My friends talk about going to the cinema with their family. I would love to be able to do that. I feel alone a lot of the time."

A boy sitting on a bench in front of the fountain in Welwyn Garden City with his school books is the focus of another of the clips.

"Some days I don't even want to go to school," says the boy's voice.

"There's no one around to help me with my homework. I feel I don't have a future."

Each one of the short videos ends with a plea for viewers to consider becoming a foster carer.

An adult voice reads text that appears on the screen, stating: "There are approximately 1,000 children in Hertfordshire who need your help. 

"You could be the one to help a child. Become a foster carer with Hertfordshire County Council."

The campaign, which features child actors, has been running on social media since June.

Miranda Gittos, the county council's director of specialist services and commissioning, says they wanted to show the "urgent need" for more foster carers.

"We wanted to develop video content which alerted people to the stark situation we're facing in relation to foster carer recruitment," said Ms Gittos.

"With decreasing numbers of foster carers being approved both nationally and regionally, we really needed to show that there is an urgent need for more foster carers.

"We know, from research and from talking to our own foster carers, that 'making a difference' is a significant motivator in deciding to become a foster carer.

"Just by doing a few simple things as a foster carer, like helping a child to learn to ride a bike or join their local football team, you can make a difference and transform a child's life."

According to the campaign materials, the council is looking for people to consider foster care who are "patient, committed, empathetic and understanding" and "who want to make a positive difference to a child's life and to help them feel safe".

They should be able to "provide a settled and stable environment for a child" and have at least one spare room.

The campaign also highlights the training and support available to county council foster carers, including preparation training and 24/7 local support.

And it highlights the weekly payments available for foster carers, as well as a weekly allowance of £446 for each child looked after and other allowances.

• More information about the campaign to recruit foster carers – including the video clips – can be found at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/fosterHELP