Spreading the word at Gateway as cops and students get up close and personal

BOROUGH police officers forged links with local young people as well as talking to students about issues including knife crime.

Yesterday (Friday. 7 February) PCs Richard Harris and Lauren Whitwell, SPS Ben Nicholls and PCSO's Jackie Middleton and Laura Coombes attended the Gateway Academy, Tilbury for their year eight focus day.

The team talked to the students during an assembly about knife crime, gangs and county lines, and also individual class lessons which included a phonetic alphabet game and the laws and facts on anti-social behaviour.

Some of the groups even got "arrested", as did officers!

A police spokesperson said: "We hope that the students enjoyed the sessions and that they gained from their experience.@