Students star in gun campaign DVD

A gun amnesty will be held in the county next month

School pupils in South Yorkshire have joined forces with the police to produce a DVD warning about the dangers of gun and knife gang culture.

Students from Sheffield's Firth Park Community Arts College feature in the film, which is set to hip hop music.

It forms part of a £75,000 campaign to tackle gun and knife crime in South and West Yorkshire and the Humberside Police force area.

A police spokesman said: "Our message is clear - guns and knives take lives."

The move follows the recent fatal shooting of three teenage boys in south London.

South Yorkshire Ass Chf Con Bob Dyson said the campaign was not a knee-jerk response to incidents elsewhere in the country but had been planned for several months.

Community impact

He said: "The number of these incidents remains quite low across our region.

"Most involve younger people, often after relatively minor disputes. But, as has been seen in other parts of the country, the outcomes can be fatal and impact on the whole community.

"We need everyone, including parents, to work together to keep communities safe."

Officers will be going into schools to speak with youngsters in the three force areas. The film will be available on sites such as My Space, You Tube and Google Vids.

The campaign will also feature a gun amnesty, which will take place next month, hard-hitting posters and leaflets and a competition for pupils to design their own campaign material.

Mo Laycock, head teacher at Firth Park Community Arts College, said: "The message in relation to gun crime is such an important one, especially in the light of recent events.

"I hope that it does help young people think through what they are getting involved in."