SCHOOLCHILDREN have taken up a challenge to learn about crime and safety in their community.

During the next five weeks, pupils at Allertonshire School, in Northallerton, will be focusing on different areas of crime as part of the Community Safety Challenge.

Year seven youngsters have been split into five classes and will each learn about various topics, including vandalism, fire safety, drugs and alcohol, car crime and truancy.

The project has been organised by Hambleton Community Safety Partnership, which takes a multi-agency approach in the reduction of crime and fear of crime across the district.

Police and fire and rescue representatives will visit the school each Monday to work with the children.

Nigel Phillips, of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said the challenge was a good way to put a strong message across to the children.

"In one of the classes, children will learn about the dangers of hoax calls," he said.

"They will watch footage of real fires and listen to a taped hoax call. They will have to discuss what may have happened to a 16-year-old trapped in her bedroom by a fire if an engine was out attending a hoax call."

Yesterday, classes began to discuss what effects different crimes can have on themselves and their families.

During the course of the challenge they will produce leaflets, plays and presentations with an anti-crime message, which will be judged by agency and school representatives next month.