CHAMPION school children have been rewarded for their own anti-drugs campaign.

The School Community Action Team from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Blackburn, beat off competition from five other local schools to win first prize for their presentation at the area's SCAT annual conference.

Entrants were asked to give a ten-minute presentation on drugs, vandalism, bullying, juvenile nuisance or a similar theme, at the Hornby lecture theatre in Blackburn Library.

QEGS, who will now go on to compete in a county-wide competition in May, were joined by teams from Westholme, St Wilfrid's, St Bede's, Moorland High School and Witton Park High School.

The winning team used the theme of a TV quiz show to get their message across. They promoted their campaign on local radio, made their own jingle and printed a leaflet with useful information and telephone numbers for people who need counselling.

SCAT teams, organised with the help of the local police, give pupils a chance to help their community and tackle crime and raise money to provide crime prevention measures.

The event was organised by PC Geoff Chadwick and PC Lester Lee, of Blackburn police's community crime prevention office.

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