South Lakes Neighbourhood Policing Team and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service joined forces for a series of Junior Citizen days.

The educational events involved primary school children in Ulverston, Windermere, and Grange.

The Junior Citizen programme, a collaborative effort between the police and fire service, delivers education and training to children to equip them to appropriately handle a variety of life situations.

The sessions were conducted at various locations, starting at the Ulverston Blue Light Hub on April 17, 18, and 19, and were carried out in cooperation with an array of partners, including Cumbria Constabulary's NPT and Cybercrime team, Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Service (CADAS), Network Rail and the NFU.

The Westmorland Gazette: Road safety was among the topicsRoad safety was among the topics (Image: Cumbria Police)

Additional sessions were held at Windermere Fire Station on April 22 and 23 and a final session at Grange Fire Station on April 24.

Targeting year 6 pupils, the programme managed to reach almost 20 schools and attract nearly 300 attendees across all sessions.

The comprehensive range of topics covered included antisocial behaviour, internet safety, road safety, water safety, home and fire safety through the use of Virtual Reality headsets, alcohol, vape and drug misuse, the perils of trespassing on railway tracks, and responsible enjoyment of the countryside.

Sergeant Paul Mellard, Ulverston and Lakes Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This is a great initiative, and it was great to see so many young people attend the sessions and engage with the facilitators.

“The children asked many questions and really got stuck in!

"We have had some excellent feedback so far from staff.

“The inputs they received from ourselves and our partners will hopefully provide the children with some tools and knowledge which can be used throughout their lives to help keep themselves and their communities safe.”

Station manager Jamie Coward said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the pupils to Ulverston, Windermere and Grange and our crews very much enjoyed sharing important advice on fire, road and water safety with them.

“The level of engagement from the pupils was tremendous, and their sessions using our virtual reality headsets to simulate some real-life scenarios proved to be a real highlight for them.

“Thanks to the schools for taking part and thanks to our crews and partners for delivering such an interactive and informative course.”