Teenagers got a taste of life behind bars as part of a hard-hitting project to deter young people from crime.

Around 60 pupils from Yavneh College and Hertswood Academy, both in Borehamwood, and Mount Grace Academy, in Potters Bar, took part in the Prison Me! No Way! scheme.

They came face-to-face with Tony, a convict who has been given a life sentence for murder, and heard his own unedited account of serving time.

The Year 8 and 9 pupils were each given a badge with a prison number, split up from their friends and escorted from workshop to workshop in the same way inmates are when moving around prison.

They stepped inside a replica prison cell where they were given a workshop on the harmful effects of drugs, and shown how to safely walk away from a fight.

Councillor Brenda Batten, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and health, said: “It strips away all the illusions of prison life and crime young people may have from television and film.

“It shows them what losing their freedom and spending 23 and a half hours of their day in a tiny cell really feels like.

“They also learnt it is not too late - they can chose a different path and go on to lead successful and happy lives.”

The pupils who took part were identified as the most likely to benefit from the day, which was held at Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar.

It was run by the No Way Trust, Hertsmere Borough Council and Hertfordshire Constabulary. 

Chief Inspector for Hertsmere, Dean Patient, said: “This is just the sort of imaginative activity that we should be concentrating on.

"It is about helping young people see that the choices they make have consequences and will affect the course of their lives.”