A COMIC book campaign is being launched to encourage younger children to “Trust and Tell” if they are at risk of abuse. Durham Police and local schoolchildren are joining forces to launch the campaign, giving children the confidence to report abuse to a trusted adult.

It follows national research which found that only one in eight child victims have the confidence to report abuse to adults who can help – with the rest suffering in silence throughout their childhood.

Durham’s Mini Police, along with force mascot Mittens, will help teachers across all County Durham and Darlington primary schools deliver age-appropriate awareness sessions for pupils aged from five to seven years.

The campaign features video-based lessons and a cartoon booklet starring Mittens, designed to get across the crucial message that children should confide in a trusted adult.

Schools will be able to get free access to the training materials through the Durham Agency Against Crime website www.daac.org.uk.

The campaign will be rolled out in schools from Friday, March 9. Ahead of the launch in schools, Mini Police from St Godric’s School, in Durham, along with force mascot Mittens, will join senior officers from Durham Police and Durham Agency Against Crime to launch the campaign.