A GROUP of schoolchildren are entering the final stages of a five-week crime challenge.

Next week, the 11 and 12-year-olds from Easingwold School will present the findings of their study.

They will perform plays and display posters created during the Community Safety Challenge.

Hambleton's Community Safety Partnership runs challenges with all the secondary schools in the district. Year seven pupils were asked to consider crime and community safety topics that affect them and the community in which they live.

The Easingwold students have been looking at shoplifting and theft, drugs and alcohol, anti-social behaviour, trespassing and vandalism, road safety, arson and hoax calls, bullying and truancy, and the fear of crime.

They have worked with officers from the partnership as well as representatives from the police, the fire and rescue service and a number of other organisations.

"We hope that these challenges help pupils understand the consequences of crime," said community safety officer Alison Oldfield.

"It is important that they are clear on the effect it has on both the victim and the offender.

"In that way, we hope it will make them more responsible citizens.

"We have been running challenges across the district for the past two years and all the youngsters seem to enjoy them - they get a lot out of the events but as community safety officers we can learn a lot from them too."