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Leeds: Spotlight is on the horrors of knife crime
A brave drama designed to warn youngsters of the horrors of knife crime is taking centre stage as it tours schools in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
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Hundreds of schoolchildren in the region are being told of the possible tragic consequences of keeping dangerous weapons in a 45-minute play entitled The Worm Collector, written by former Leeds teacher Jodie Marshall.
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A special audience, including Lord Mayor Of Leeds Coun Judith Elliott, staff from Leeds Youth Offending Service, probation officers and representatives from Leeds City Council, were at the Royal Armouries to see the play which is a joint initiative between West Yorkshire Playhouse Touring Company and the Royal Armories Museum.
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The play is set to tour schools in Leeds until the end of February with plans to take it to Europe later in the year.
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The Royal Armouries provided funding and weapons' expertise for the project, the latest in a series of anti-knife crime initiatives at the museum.
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Museum development director Peter Armstrong, who has been working closely with the Home Office on various initiatives, including the Safer Leeds initiative, said the play had a powerful story to tell.
He said: "There is a great chance that at some point in their lives young people will have to deal with these issues and the play has an important role to play in raising awareness."
The Worm Collector tells the story of a troubled teenager who faces tragic consequences when he chooses to carry a knife.
Yesterday's poignant performance provided a sharp echo of the real-life tragedy of young Tyrone Clarke stabbed to death near his home in Beeston by a gang in April 2004.
His mother Loraine was recently at the Royal Armouries to launch the government's Knife Crime Prevention Programme .
The Royal Armouries also launched a new booklet, Staying Safe, as part of its ongoing commitment to tackling knife crime in the community.
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Weather for Leeds
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -5 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
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