A college will hold a series of workshops over a four-week period to raise awareness about gang and youth violence.

Waltham Forest College has teamed up with Safer London and Sparks4Life to deliver the programme which will give youngsters tips on how to stay safe and avoid confrontation.

The college in Walthamstow’s Forest Road said it decided to hold the workshops in response to the increased level of violence across London.

Topics such as managing conflict, online safety, healthy relationships, consent and safety planning will be covered.

Teri, the college’s student president, said: “I find these workshops really helpful as I plan to use what I learned in my day to day life, even after I finish my studies.

“I am happy that the college recognises these concerns by being responsive to what is happening in London that clearly demonstrates they take student safety serious”

The programme, which coincides with the launch of the London Needs You Alive campaign by the Greater London Authority (GLA), was kicked off with a visit from members of the Metropolitan Police.

In a presentation, officers gave students an insight into the life cycle of gangs, local and national trends, county line crime and the recruitment of gang members.

Staff at the college took part in the presentation in the hope of using the officers’ words of wisdom to prevent students from being sucked into gangs.

College director, Amir Ahmed, said: “This is a hot topic for colleges in London and we have a major responsibility to ensure our students can identify the signs of being in vulnerable positions.

“We are proud that our students feel safe on-site and their behaviour was recognised as exemplary in our recent Ofsted inspection.

“By arranging these specialist workshops we are continuing to be proactive and prepare young people well for life in modern Britain.”

The college is also supporting a research project conducted by the University of Cambridge and the University of Kent by allowing its students to be interviewed by researchers.

The study is examining the law of joint enterprise, the term given to a form of secondary liability in common law which allows an individual to be convicted of an offence committed by another.

Researchers are keen to understand youngsters’ knowledge of joint enterprise and the risks it poses to their future.

Dr Susie Hulley who is leading the study at Cambridge University, said: ‘It is crucial for us to ascertain the extent to which young people experience serious youth violence and really understand its potential consequences, including physical injury, psychological trauma and lengthy prison sentences.”