POLICE are deploying a new weapon in the war against vandalism in schools -- children's gossip!

A group of youngsters from Fern Gore, Accrington, were taken by police to Lancashire force's helicopter base in Warton, near Preston, at the weekend.

The youngsters, from St Oswald's Primary School, Hartley Avenue, St Peter's Primary School, Cartmel Avenue, and Mount Carmel High School, were shown how the equipment in the helicopter works and how it can get pictures of offenders.

Now police are hoping the youngsters will pass on the information to their friends.

The helicopter is currently being used as part of Operation Caretaker, an initiative which involves it flying over schools when they are closed to make sure they are not being vandalised.

If crimes are occurring as the 'copter flies over, officers are scrambled to the scene and the offenders arrested.

Saturday's visit was organised by Fern Gore beat bobby PC Jane Lawrenson.

She said: "We took the youngsters to show them just what equipment can be used to identify people committing crimes.

"We know a lot of vandalism is committed by youngsters, and although the youngsters who visited the helicopter aren't the ones doing it, we hope they will pass on what they see.

"There is a misconception that people can't be identified from the helicopter. They can and now these youngsters know this.

"We hope word-of-mouth will kick in now and lead to a reduction in the amount of vandalism being reported from schools across the area."

"Once they see a crime being committed, they can call officers on the ground to the scene to catch the offenders.

"Vandalism costs schools and fortune and causes a lot of problems."

Operation Caretaker was launched over the school holidays with the intention of keeping an eye of schools at vulnerable times.