A new approach to educating and preventing knife crime among young people in North Wales has been launched.

The Gwynedd and Mon Youth Justice Service will be using virtual reality headsets and a specially designed training package to change the behaviour of youths who are referred to their services by police.

The launch comes during Operation Sceptre, which is the national week of action to tackle knife crime.

The educational tool will help to illustrate the consequences of the decisions young people may be forced to make when it comes to knives.

The initiative comes following funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales.

The knife crime experience, which was created by Virtual Decisions and originally commissioned by West Midlands Police, aims to open a candid conversation with young people about carrying knives and the potential consequences in a safe environment.

Follow-up sessions with case managers will then take the conversation deeper and allow individuals to reflect properly on the dangers of carrying a knife.

Additionally, parts of the training package will also soon be translated into Welsh to allow first language Welsh speakers to take part without any barriers.

District Inspector Iwan Jones said: “Partnership working on initiatives such as this is an essential way for us to reduce and prevent knife crime in our communities.

“Carrying a knife doesn’t protect you - it puts you at greater risk of harm. We want young people to think twice and make the right choice.

“We hope that working alongside the Youth Justice Service on this targeted prevention will result in more young people understanding the truly devastating consequences of knife crime.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: “This is a dynamic programme that we hope will have a tremendous impact on our young people.

“I have heard about the impact it had had in other areas across England and Wales in reducing the number of young people carrying knives.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the positive contribution that makes to people’s lives and our communities.”

Stephen Wood, Gwynedd Youth Justice Manager, said: “We are delighted to be part of this ground-breaking project and are very grateful to the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner for the generous grant which has allowed us to purchase five Virtual Decision headsets.

In addition to Knife Crime Programme we have also received staff training and intervention programmes on ‘Identity’ and ‘Influence’ which challenge the children to think about their choices around social media, friendship groups and alcohol and drug use.

 “Our aim is to reach out to young people and help them make informed decisions by showing them the potential consequences of carrying knives – split-second decisions can devastate lives. By working with our partners in local policing we hope to ensure that Gwynedd continues to be a safe place to live.”