BURY police are spearheading an anti-bullying campaign after a shock survey revealed that 20 per cent of local schoolchildren had experienced physical or verbal abuse.

And the initiative, involving the staging of a play which graphically illustrates the problems of bullying, could be adopted throughout Greater Manchester.

Local business chiefs are backing the clampdown by providing vital cash towards the overall £4,300 cost of the project.

Four local car dealerships have given a total of £1,200 towards the campaign, with the remainder of the money coming via the Greater Manchester Shrievalty Police Trust and Bury Education Authority.

Responsible for implementing the initiative is Bury Police divisional schools liaison officer PC George Evans.

He said: "The police, in partnership with Bury Local Education Authority, have recognised that bullying exists in some degree or other in every school."

The results of a questionnaire-based survey, carried out by PC Evans, showed that 20 per cent of schoolchildren have experienced bullying - either physical or verbal. And a similar survey, which looked at personal safety issues among pupils, disclosed one in five children had been a victim of street robbery, known as "taxing".

The bold anti-violence campaign is being aimed primarily at the most vulnerable age group for bullying - first year high school pupils (Year 7), those aged between 11 and 12.

PC Evans continued: "The initiative has involved each Year 7 class in all 14 high schools - more than 2,000 pupils - receiving a one-hour lesson on bullying from myself."

This will now be followed up by each year group in each school watching an interactive play on bullying, entitled Alone.

The play has been written by David Chadderton and will be performed by Denton-based Mainstream Theatre Arts.

The play will run from Monday, June 28, to Tuesday, July 7, and will be staged in two schools each day.

In the play, fronted by PC Evans, the children will see two young people, a boy and girl, being systematically bullied - physically and verbally - by other youngsters.

The audience will then be asked by the victims for advice on how to deal with various situations.

PC Evans added: "The aim of the initiative is to try to raise the profile of bullying within schools. We want to convince young people that they do not have to put up with it, that they can make a difference and that they must report the incidents."

The four local car dealerships who are financially backing the project are Richard Cort (Bury) Blackford Bridge; Dixon (Ford) Derby Street, Bury; Bury Motors (Renault), Thoranmart Ltd, Rochdale Road, Bury; and Prestwich-based Grimshaws (Vauxhall), of Bury New Road.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.