A PLAY highlighting drugs issues and which keeps its young audience spellbound is touring Bury high schools.

The production has received the cash backing of the Greater Manchester Police Shrievalty Trust and the force's anti-drugs campaign, Operation Jigsaw.

This week, the actors visited eight high schools throughout the Bury area with the production.

The play, Highs and Lows, is being produced by the GW Theatre Company and was devised for year nine pupils.

It is accompanied by a teachers' training pack containing follow-up material.

The production covers drug issues, both legal and illegal, and attitudes to drugs use.

It runs for 50 minutes and is followed by the actors coming back on the stage in character one at a time to answer questions, relating to drug use and social behaviour.

The aim of Highs and Lows is to raise awareness levels around drugs use and attitudes to drug users. It accomplishes this in a clever way.

PC George Evans, Bury police divisional schools liaison officer, introduced the play at each venue and hosted the question sessions.

He said: "This is the first time I've seen the attention of 192 young people held for 50 minutes."

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