A major scheme to crack down on bullying is now operating in the borough.

"What Next?" is being promoted across Croydon to help secondary school pupils learn more about bullying and street crime and find out how they may be linked.

The £20,000 project, which began as a play performed by pupils from Woodcote High School, Coulsdon, one and a half years ago, was launched at Croydon Clocktower on Wednesday (April 2) by Crimewatch UK's Nick Ross.

Woodcote High School in Meadow Rise originally received £10,000 funding from the Croydon Youth Offending Team and the Metropolitan Police to kick-start the project, after being commissioned to promote the issue.

Andy Percival, head of drama at the school, enlisted the help of his Mum, a drama teacher at Thirsk School, North Yorkshire, and with 42 drama students put together a presentation looking at how bullying can lead to street crime.

It was a huge success and as a result secured another £10,000 funding from Croydon Communities Against Drugs (CAD). They then filmed the performance and a teachers' pack was produced, looking at what bullied pupils can do, what strategies there are to reduce the risk of being bullied and help prevent youngsters being pressurised into bullying behaviour.

Mr Percival said: "The project gives people the chance to explore the issues in a safe controlled environment. For victims it gives them an opportunity to see how to get out of it and how to deal with it. We cannot give answers, we cannot solve this problem, but it gives people ways to deal with it.

"Nick Ross was over the moon with it and said it is absolutely terrific."

He added: "The students have definitely benefited from the experience. We are very tight on bullying here at Woodcote and deal with it very seriously."

The teachers' resource pack will be distributed to every secondary school in Croydon, with other London boroughs and schools around the country to be included in the future.

"I saw the potential this had to go somewhere and to really make a difference," said Mr Percival.

Councillor Louisa Woodley, Croydon's cabinet member for education, said: "Life can be a misery for children being bullied at school. We want to tackle the problem and I'm sure that the What Next?' teaching resource will be a great help in dealing with this difficult issue."