PC Lucy Bunting gives pupils a wake-up call. Pic: Metropolitan Police

Police in Lewisham are warning school pupils about the dangers of carrying knifes.

Sessions entitled ‘Your Life You Choose’ were held for year nine pupils at Trinity School to show them the harsh consequences and long-term repercussions of carrying a knife.

Pupils took part in mock trials and heard from speakers with first-hand experience of dealing with knife-related offences.

Safter Schools Officer Lucy Bunting showed pupils a series of clips illustrating the consequences of choosing to carry knives.

She told them that if they remain at the scene of a violent crime that they knew was likely to take place, they need to actively do something to prevent that violence, otherwise they would be considered to be a suspect, and part of joint enterprise.

Bunting said: “We have an important role to play in tackling knife crime but we can not do this alone.

“It is important that young people are aware of the consequences and it is important that we harness their views in order to deal with this issue. Young people need to know that they must make positive decisions in order to make the right choice.”

Ewan Williams of Trinity School said: “It was a fun day of learning. Sessions were well delivered and designed to both engage and educate the children.

“Every child left having learned something new and were better informed about the consequences of the choices they make in life in respect to the law. The next day all I heard from the kids was ‘when can we do it again?’ A definite hit, and a ‘drop down’ day I would recommend to any school.”

Knife crime in Lewisham was up 63 per cent in 2011 – a worse rise than that of Croydon, Tower Hamlets or Hackney. Surrounding boroughs Lambeth and Southwark saw similar climbs. Last year the government announced proposals for much tougher sentencing on knife crime, including four-month detentions.