PUPILS as young as ten are being warned about the dangers of carrying a weapon as part of an annual safety show in the town.

It is the first time knife crime has been discussed during the Junior Good Citizen scheme, funded by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, which educates more than 1,700 students from 38 schools across Swindon every year.

For the next two weeks the multi-agency programme is teaching the youngsters at the Punjabi Community Centre in Gorse Hill on how to be safe online, when on the road and even around dogs.

But following an increase in young people in Swindon carrying weapons, knife crime has been the hot topic of conversation in a bid to stamp it out.

“We are seeing an increasing number of young people carrying weapons in Swindon,” said Steve Kensington, community safety leader at Swindon Borough Council.

“We are concerned about that and their safety and we believe the more information they have the safer they will be.

“This is the first time we have ever brought this presentation here and it is very unusual to be given to people so young, but it is important.

“We are seeing 14 to 17-year-olds carrying weapons in the streets and in schools. If we can speak to ten and 11-year-olds about the risks of that, it will keep them safer.

“What we tell them is about the criminal consequences, health consequences and what the risks are. As soon as they sit down they say ‘wow you’ve got a sword, isn’t that cool,’ but by the end of it they are all petrified. But they are petrified in a good way.

“We give them the message at the end of the day Wiltshire is one of the safest counties in the country but that doesn’t mean they can’t be aware of what the risks are.”

Children from St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School and Oakhurst Community Primary School gathered today to hear from Steve, as well as Wiltshire Police, Blue Cross and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Harvey, 11, an Oakhurst pupil, said: “It was a good learning experience because a lot of people might not have known about weapons. I think everyone who has come will remember about the dangers now.

“I learnt that 30 per cent of young people end up being killed by their own weapons and 70 per cent of anyone that carries a weapon end up in A&E themselves because they get into fights and someone else stabs them with their own weapon.

“It’s made me think about being more careful and not go up to people I don’t know. I thought I was quite safe before but now I’ve realised I could be safer.”