WHILE bar staff, nurses and schoolchildren may not appear to have much in common, they can all face the same threat of being attacked.

It was with this possibility in mind that Martial Arts Trained (Mat) was established by three judo experts as a company specialising in personal safety training.

Throughout the course of the autumn term the team, which is made up of Alan Cawthorne, Tracy Woods and Mark Thompson, has been working with 15 and 16-year-old girls from Nunthorpe School, Middlesbrough.

Although they are keen to point out that the techniques they use are not strictly judo, they follow the British Judo Association's self-defence programme.

Benita Ireland, a PE teacher at Nunthorpe, which has run similar schemes in previous years, said yesterday: "The girls have really enjoyed the classes, and I think they have got a lot out of them.

"I think they are important for their own personal safety - even if they only remember one thing that might help them, they will have been worthwhile."

It was the idea of arming the teenagers with the skills to help them in future situations that prompted Mat's involvement at Nunthorpe.

Alan said: "You have the same chance of being attacked as winning the Lottery - but you still buy a ticket."

This is a concept that the Nunthorpe students seemed ready to grasp.

Vicki Conroy, 15, of Nunthorpe, said: "I have always wanted to learn to defend myself if I was ever in trouble. I think I have learned a lot - it's been really good."