Cheshire Police is equipping schools and colleges with the knowledge on how to effectively recognise, respond and intervene to issues relating to sexual harassment and violence to help keep young people safe across the county.

Police are offering free sexual harassment and violence training to all schools and colleges across the county, to enable teachers to recognise harmful behaviours, and give them the knowledge of how to put the necessary interventions in place should an issue arise.

The training forms part of the Cheshire Police's wider Safer Streets initiative, a Home Office fund that supports police forces in order to prevent, reduce and tackle neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.

There are three different courses that teachers and school safeguarding leads can attend and all three will give attendees critical knowledge and information to help keep young people safe.

The courses - which are being delivered by leading sexual violence training and consultancy experts, Lime Culture and Purple Leaf - have already seen more than 70 teachers trained across 50 different schools and colleges throughout Cheshire.

There are still spaces available on upcoming courses for any teacher or school that is yet to book onto the training - and the Constabulary is urging those schools to take up the Constabulary's free offering and help keep young people safe.

Operational Lead for the Constabulary's Safer Streets initiative, Inspector Cliff Goodwin, said: "We are working harder than ever to end violence against women and girls across the county and we are determined to make Cheshire a place where everyone feels safe to go about their lives without the fear of sexual harassment or violence.

"We fully understand that teachers are really busy and appreciate the current strain on schools' resourcing at the moment, but making sure this message is received from a young age is vital and I am encouraging schools to sign up for our free training and not only support us in our mission to make Cheshire even safer, but fundamentally to help keep their pupils safe.

"This is a vital opportunity to help shape the safety of future generations that cannot and should not be missed."

To see if your school has taken up the Constabulary's free training, to see what courses are available, or to book yourself a place please email [email protected]

To find out more about Cheshire Constabulary's Safer Streets initiative visit:  https://www.cheshire.police.uk/police-forces/cheshire-constabulary/areas/cheshire/campaigns/safer-streets/