POLICE have unveiled a new weapon to encourage children in the borough from turning to crime, a badger called Sergeant Stripes.

That is the name of the mascot of a new interactive website for school pupils which has been set up by Greater Manchester Police and has already proven a hit throughout the world.

The site is the first of its kind in the country and was constructed by experts at Nottingham Trent University with funding from the GMP Shrievalty Trust. It is seen as an innovative addition to Greater Manchester Police's Schools Liaison programme.

"Sergeant Stripes" guides users through pages of personal safety information, crime and consequences, details about laws in relation to drugs, alcohol and other social problems as well as interactive quizzes and scenarios.

The site also includes full cross-curriculum lesson plans for teachers linked to National Curriculum Key Stages at all levels.

The site, at www.education.ntu.ac.uk/gmp, is designed for teachers, parents, police officers and young people and is available to users both nationally and internationally. In its pilot stage the site attracted hits from as far afield as North America and Australia.

Sergeant Trevor Pile, GMP's School Youth Liaison Officer said: "The website contains up-to-date material, which is flexible to ensure its use across different age ranges and levels of ability. It is an important and contemporary way which assists our young people to grow into better citizens."