The initiative has been developed in partnership with the OPCC and the Violence Reduction Network.

Young people and children in Leicestershire now have access to a ‘Personal Safety’ interactive experience.

The initiative has been praised by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Rupert Matthews, after charity Warning Zone worked in partnership with the OPCC and VRN to develop it.

Warning Zone is based around teaching life-skills and safeguarding children aged 10-11. Leicestershire OPCC provides some funding to the charity.

Their life-skills centre features different ‘zones’ which touch on subjects including e-safety, electricity and building sites and alcohol and anti-social behaviour.

The new ‘Personal Safety’ zone will explore dangers associated with peer pressure, coercion, knife crime and county lines.

It’s aimed at teaching children about current risks, how to avoid them and how to keep themselves and their friends safe.

The zone was developed in partnership with a number of relevant agencies including the OPCC, the Violence Reduction Network and the Police’s Child Criminal Coercion team.

PCC Rupert Matthews recently visited the site and has welcomed the initiative.

He said: “I am always hugely impressed whenever I visit Warning Zone but was particularly impressed at how many issues were covered in such a short space of time during this new zone.  Everyone at Warning Zone and Juice [the design company] has done a brilliant job, and I thank them for their efforts and dedication.  My office and I are proud to provide some funding for Warning Zone's projects.

"Crime is constantly changing, and children and young people must be aware of their vulnerabilities.  I'm pleased to see that yet again Warning Zone has proven itself capable of renewal and is keeping ahead of the curve when it comes to issues like county lines and knife crime that exploits and affects so many young people.

"It is clear that Warning Zone's value is not only realism and effectiveness but also its reach.  Schools from all over Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are utilising this resource and I would encourage any school who hasn't yet been to arrange to come and see Warning Zone.  The education that pupils receive is second to none, and that is the first step in preventing exploitation and crime."