Children at Harold Hill Community School will be taking part in a pilot scheme warning about the dangers of paedophiles.

The move comes in the wake of a number of attempted abductions from schools around Harold.

The Metropolitan Police have previously identified the area as one which would be a target for paedophiles.

But the video goes further than stranger danger - and addresses the risk of perverts gaining a child's trust through family links.

Created by Essex County Council, the video may be used in schools nationwide.

Annette Kerridge, child protection officer at Harold Hill Community School said: "The video was shown to all child protection officers in Havering after the success it had in Essex and I decided that it was something our school would want to be involved in.

"The video has been approved by our board of governors and will be shown to parents next month for their feedback."

The scheme is aimed at year eight students and highlights how paedophiles infiltrate families and gain the trust of parents before they strike.

Ms Kerridge added: "The whole thing includes nine hours of back-up work to the video with very experienced teachers.

''This gives the youngsters a chance to discuss issues including the importance of two way communication between themselves and their parents.

"It is a non-sexual video but does drive home the need for both parents and children to be aware of people around them.

''And the back-up classroom work prevents a situation where children are terrified of people they don't know."

The scheme relies on parent participation. The video aims to make parents aware of how paedophiles operate and how to listen to their children.

Havering Council will closely monitor how well the scheme works at Harold Hill Community School before introducing it to all secondary schools in the borough.

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