MINI police officers from a Barrow school met got the chance to explore the town hall in a tour by the town’s mayor.

Cllr Bill McEwan showed pupils from Ormsgill Primary School around the building to give them a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the space where the big decisions are made.

It was the part of the school’s Mini Police scheme, which sees pupils learn about community crime issues and pass on their knowledge to fellow pupils.

The school’s assistant headteacher, Dawn Hubbold, said the pupils relished the opportunity to explore the historic building.

She said: "The children who were members of our Mini Police were very interested to see where the council makes its decisions.

"They got to see all the rooms in the building and were keen to talk to the mayor and ask him questions."

Mrs Hubbold said of all the rooms in the town hall, the children most enjoyed seeing the mayor's chamber.

The school's Mini Police officers were first recruited in May.

The scheme has been introduced to teach children about responsibility and community and increase engagement with the police.

Mrs Hubbold said "We are trying to get a group to be responsible citizens.

"This gives them a good sense of community.

The Mini Police crew are made up of 20 pupils who were recruited through a rigorous selection process at the school.

Bill McEwan, who represents the Ormsgill ward on Barrow Borough Council, said he enjoyed showing the pupils round his place of work.

The mayor said: “It was a great day and really enjoyable to show the children around.

“They asked some really interesting questions, which I was happy to answer.

“They loved seeing all the different areas of the town hall, which is a very historic building."

On the Mini Police scheme, Mr McEwan said: “It’s a really great idea and I hope every school in the area gets involved.

"It gives the kids something to do and hopefully they will join up with the police when they are older."

The junior police officers have previously looked at fire safety and are said to be interested in learning about speeding cars in the Ormsgill area.

The next Mini Police session at the school will see pupils learn about the ‘county lines’ phenomenon, in which city crime gangs traffic illegal substances around the country.