The world of virtual reality is being used to debunk the glamour and mystery of knife crime among young people.

The interactive VR experiences give people the chance to see the real life impact of carrying knives in a safe virtual environment.

The content is based on the experiences of more than 1,200 young people in the UK.

It is hoped youngsters will understand the dangerous consequences of knife attacks before it is too late.

The multi-award winning VR filmmakers at Round Midnight have been working alongside West Yorkshire's Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) team.

The Birmingham-based team has created two videos - GANGS and KNIVES - which tackle crime in a trauma-informed way.

West Yorkshire is now among several areas using virtual decisions as an early intervention and safeguarding tool. 

Aimed at young and vulnerable people, the initiative is being used at schools, community centres, and out-of-court disposal sessions.

A cohort of 70 professionals are now being trained to deliver the interactive experiences by Round Midnight. 

Detective Chief Superintendent Lee Berry, who is director of the West Yorkshire VRP, said: “The virtual reality scenarios are built on the actual experiences of over 1,200 young people and are a fantastic engagement tool. 

“By educating young people in this way about the consequences of their actions, we can do more to change attitudes and behaviours around knives.”

Claire Downes, CEO and founder of Round Midnight, said: “The team of dedicated professionals at the West Yorkshire VRP have made an invaluable choice by bringing the Virtual_Decisions universe to the region - there’s infinite opportunity for the 70-strong team of trained staff to create an ethos of empathy and understanding within their communities. 

“These complicated issues are often topics that people shy away from - but that risks a perpetual cycle of pain for anyone whose life has been impacted by knife crime. 

“We’re truly thrilled to be working with such a proactive and passionate team and we’ll be supporting their implementation of these programmes every step of the way. Virtual_Decisons will change the lives of young people in West Yorkshire for the better.”