Teachers on beat with police
Teachers at a Black Country school are arming themselves with walkie talkies and pounding the streets alongside cops in a bid to stop pupils causing havoc on their way home.
Staff, including headteacher Trevor Johnson from Castle High School, Dudley, are patrolling the route taken by students after lessons finish, in a unique attempt to stamp out anti-social behaviour.
It comes after complaints from traders and shoppers about students being unruly as they make their way home through the town centre to the bus station.
Sergeant Simon Holloway, from Dudley police station, said businesses were especially unhappy about students shouting and running through the Fountain Arcade.
He said: "An issue was raised at a neighbourhood meeting by traders in the Fountain Arcade who said they were having problems with students from Castle High School."
The school in St James's Road has decided to take matters into its own hands and each day a number of teachers patrol the route to keep an eye on pupils.
The headmaster has even invested in walkie talkies so staff can alert each other to any potential nuisance and already anti-social activity has been cut.
"I think it is commendable what the school is doing to ensure pupils behave responsibly," said Sgt Holloway.
"This is an invaluable initiative as teachers can identify any potential troublemakers."