The tragic consequences of landmines is being depicted in an exhibition at a Friern Barnet School next week.

A display of 16 life-sized portraits, which features Cambodian children who have survived devastating landmine accidents, will be on show at Woodside Park International School, in Friern Barnet Lane, from Monday.

Dean of Academic Development Allan Pickering said he hopes the Living with Land Mines exhibition will demonstrate the dangers of landmines, which currently affect one third of the world's nations.

He said: "I hope the students appreciate their place in the world a little bit more after the show, which should come as a big culture shock to them.

"They are very receptive to this sort of exhibition and it should raise awareness of the consequences of landmines.

"It is not the sort of thing that appears in the papers. This gives an intimate description of how landmine victims live their lives and cope with the problems."

Photographer V.Tony Hauser pictured the Cambodian children on a seamless canvas backdrop while they were in the country's Landmine Museum. He said: "I purposely chose to isolate them from their natural surroundings.

"I hoped this would elevate them and, at the same time, reveal my admiration for their strength. They live with the daily fear of land mines."

The exhibition forms part of the school's on-going connection with the South-East Asian country following a number of dedicated fundraising activities.

Up to 30 students will be heading out to one of the poorest rural areas of Cambodia to use the money they collected to build new homes.

Mr Pickering added: "We are putting in place at an early age a sense of responsibility for others whether that be family, friends or people in other countries."

Alex Boxall, 15, is one of the pupils preparing to go on the trip. He said: "It will be something I will never forget. I think it will be a shock and very hard emotionally to see how other people live day to day."

The exhibition will be held in the school hall from June 16 to 20 and is open to the public. Entrance costs £1.