Bradford school pupils are waging war on crime with the help of a big book.

Youngsters at two primary schools in the city have each produced books with a hard-hitting message about crime.

And they will now be used by other schools in the district as a learning tool.

The ten and 11-year-olds at Crossley Hall Primary School in Fairweather Green and Carrwood Primary School in Eversley Drive were chosen to produce the books as part of a national campaign to tackle crime.

The Prudential 4 Youth campaign is being run at 15 shopping centres owned by the firm across the country - which includes the Kirkgate Centre in Bradford.

However the Bradford schools are the only primaries in the country involved in the project.

Pupils at the two schools spent an afternoon at the Kirkgate Centre learning about security and how retailers tackle shop-lifting.

They were then challenged to design and illustrate their own big book which can be used to deliver an anti-crime message to other pupils.

Crosssley Hall Primary's book is called 'It Wasn't Me' and tells the tale of how a boy's life of crime escalated and leads to him being jailed.

The school's literacy co-ordinator Nigel Tordoff said: "The idea is to produce a book which can then be used as a learning tool and I think it will work because it has been produced by young people and it reflects their slant and their fears on crime."

Kirkgate Centre manager Catherine Riley said: "We're excited about this development, which has brought together centre staff, retailers and young people and gives us an opportunity to work together to take action against crime.

"The two big books that have been produced are absolutely fantastic and hammer home the dangers of drug-taking and getting in with the wrong crowd.

"Both schools have created books that have a powerful message and I'm sure they will make an impact with other children and encourage them to think again before making the wrong decision about which route to follow in life."

The youngsters' efforts have earned the school's a primary enterprise school of the year award from Education Bradford.

Bob Jones, Bradford Education Business Partnership Manager, said: "The project increases motivation in the people who take part and helps raise standards. The project can only be achieved in partnership with local businesses."