UNIVERSITY freshers will work along police to help keep students safe as part of a pioneering new volunteering scheme.

North Yorkshire Police was at the Freshers’ Fair at the Scarborough campus of Coventry University to recruit Student Crime Prevention Champions.

The community-spirited volunteers will take part in crime prevention initiatives and campaigns alongside the police – giving them an insight into local policing issues, and contributing to a safer environment for students in North Yorkshire.

The first project the students will tackle will be to raise awareness around the dangers associated with ‘money mules’ – where a ‘mule’ allows their bank account to be used by others to transfer money in and out, and in return, keep some of the money for themselves.

14 students have already signed up to the scheme. If it proves successful, the student volunteers could get involved in other crime prevention campaigns and it could be expanded to other North Yorkshire universities.