YOUNGSTERS got a taste of life behind bars in a bid to steer them away from a life of crime.

Students from Almondbury High School took part in the Kirklees launch of the Prison! Me! No Way! day - the first of its kind in the Huddersfield police area.

Year 8 students became prisoners for the day, with groups separated into "wings" with wardens.

They saw the size and facilities of a typical prison cell, which has been created in the back of a specially designed van and has furniture from Hull Jail.

The students also took part in a series of workshops, including a question and answer session with a present inmate of New Hall Prison at Flockton.

The event was organised by a national charity, the No-Way Trust, and Year 8 leader Sandra Quarmby, who is the school's citizenship co-ordinator.

It is being actively supported by Kirklees police commander Chief Supt Barry South and Assistant Chief Constable Javid Akhtar, who are hoping to extend the scheme throughout the district.

The charity, which last week received the Justice Award 2005 for engaging communities, is staffed by around 600 prison officers serving at jails throughout the country.

All work as volunteers on days off and during their holidays.

The trust has been running for 12 years and receives no Government cash. It has so far reached more than 4.5m young people.

"We aim to raise young people's awareness about crime, its consequences and penalties," said national co-ordinator Doug Evans. "We don't use scare tactics. We give young people the information to make informed choices and stay on the right side of a fine dividing line."

Mrs Quarmby said the day aimed to encourage pupils to think about crime and safety and decisions they made.

She said it also aimed to give them a feel of all the different emergency services and the work they did.

Pc Angie Lister, the school's support link officer, said the aim was to help young people think about the consequences of crime, why is was committed and what they could do to keep themselves safe and away from trouble.

Workshops included a video about stealing a car called No Fear, information about prison uniform and what happens when you first arrive in prison.

There was also a workshop with the road safety charity Scard (Support and Care After Road Death), a street scene and Asbo workshops.

Other items were anti-drugs workshops and information about the fire and ambulance services.

Awards were presented at the end of the day to three children from each "wing" who had reacted most positively to the day.

What the students said:

"It's taught us not to do illegal stuff!" - Sam Thorpe, 12.

"It's not good in jail. You lose a lot of things, privileges, privacy and, most importantly, family. "The women prisoner we've spoken to has explained how difficult it is for her to have to see her young daughter being searched before she can see her, when she was visiting her mum in jail." - Naomi Roberts, 12.