A NORTH Yorkshire author and knife crime campaigner has been speaking to pupils at a York school.

Christina Gabbitas visited Vale of York Academy in Clifton following her continued work with North Yorkshire Police.

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Christina was commissioned by the Force in 2023 to write a sequel to the No More Knives County Lines, entitled Trapped in County Lines, that sees a fatality from a stabbing, and thirteen-year-old boy going missing.

She said: "I’m a big believer in early intervention. Since working on my projects surrounding county lines and associated knife crime, I receive many messages from parents and carers UK wide whose children have been caught up. As a parent myself I find some of the stories deeply disturbing and upsetting. If we can help educate or safeguard one child in each session, we will have achieved something positive.”

Clare Hirst assistant head at Vale of York said: “Safeguarding our students is at the heart of the school. We recognise the impact county lines and all that’s associated can have on young people within the local area.

"Christina delivered an engaging and powerful intervention which prompted lots of questions for discussion. Education has to be at the forefront of delivering consistent messages of the dangers they may face to keep our young people safe.”

Sergeant Heidi Lewis head of the schools liaison team for North Yorkshire Police said: “We have been working closely with Christina since 2021 and have found the collaborative and valuable inputs have helped to safeguard some children and young people.”

The force implemented the Home Office’s “Clear Hold Build” strategy into the area of Clifton to improve the quality of life for residents and local people. The strategy is part of a national project which every police force in the country.

Earlier in the year Christina visited Burton Green Primary also in Clifton with the policing team utilising her first story No More Knives County Lines, that sees a group of friends groomed and exploited into county lines whilst hanging out in their local park.

The community of Clifton are uniting under the strapline of “Connecting Clifton” to make the area a more prosperous place to live, work and visit. Key partners that include North Yorkshire Police, the City of York Council and Horizons are working closely with local sports clubs and councillors to drive out crime and anti-social behaviour.