POLICE tackling knife crime in city schools are using the murder of Aberdeen schoolboy Bailey Gwynne to turn pupils away from blades.

If it is successful, a pilot project in Cleveden Secondary School could be rolled out to others across Glasgow and then across Scotland.

Community officers spoke to first year pupils at the west end high school, telling them about the stabbing of teenager Bailey.

The scheme is the brainchild of PC Jasarat Ahmad, who said officers - and pupils - “must not be complacent”.

He said: “I am hoping that this session will waken them up a bit.

“Kids become complacent. They are exposed to violence in video games and they need an awakening as to how serious things can become if a weapon is brought into the classroom.

“I would hope this plants a seed in their minds and that they take on board the fact they should always tell a teacher or police if they see a classmate with a knife.”

He added: “I don’t think there is a problem with knives in Glasgow’s schools but we must not become complacent either, just because crime figures are falling year on year."

Figures from Glasgow City Council show the number of pupils excluded for incidents involving weapons or improvised weapons are steadily falling.

In 2013 a total of 47 secondary school pupils were excluded for weapon related incidents.

The following year, 2014, saw 45 pupils barred from school and in 2015 this number had decreased to 35.

Latest figures from 2016 show 30 pupils were excluded for weapon incidents from a current city-wide school roll of 25,025 pupils .

The Evening Times joined PC Ahmad and his colleagues at Clevedon for the interactive session with pupils.

Youngsters were taught myths and facts about knives before learning about the physical impacts of stabbing someone before watching a hard-hitting short film based on a real life incident.

Finally, they told the first year class about 16-year-old Bailey, who was stabbed at Cults Academy in October 2015 during a fight with a school friend over a biscuit.

An inquiry found Bailey’s death would have been preventable had classmates told a teacher that the boy found guilty of the culpable homicide was bringing weapons into school.

PC Ahmad added: “So far, we have had good feedback about the programme and I would hope to see it rolled out across the division and then across Scotland.

“Twenty years ago there used to be knives here and now it is very, very unusual to be called out to a pupil with a knife.

“We must keep it that way.”

In 2015 the Evening Times reported that police were encouraging parents to search their children’s schoolbags for weapons.

The move came after a two-day spell in which three 12-year-old boys were found at three different east end schools with knives.

Also in 2015 police were called to Holyrood Secondary on the south side to reports of a stabbing.

A 14-year-old schoolboy was treated in hospital for suspected knife wounds and a second 14-year-old boy was involved.

In another incident that year two boys, aged 11 and 12, were reported to the Children’s Panel after arranging online to swap a knife for a hat.

One of the children brought the knife to school where teachers confiscated it and called in police.