Camera phones are used to record violent attacks

Staff from St John Ambulance plan to offer the training to almost 3,000 Newcastle pupils over three months.

The craze involves a violent attack which is "filmed" on a mobile camera phone and then distributed to others.

The training will feature a mock-up of an incident in which a youngster is found injured at a city railway station after an attack.

St John Ambulance claims the pioneering training could potentially save the lives of victims of violence.

Other training scenarios will include the aftermath of drug use, car crashes and home emergencies.

'Fantastic opportunity'

The programme is being offered to all year 8 children in Newcastle and involves St John Ambulance along with all the emergency services and the prison service.

All the scenarios will take place within the Safety Works Interactive Safety Centre in Scotswood - a converted warehouse in which a section of city has been recreated, complete with roads, houses, sub stations, a metro station, a court and a prison cell.

The government has helped to pay for the programme, which also aims to show youngsters how to combat the dangers of drugs and deal with basic emergency aid procedures.

St John Ambulance schools' liaison officer for Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, Peter Lane, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for these youngsters and will give them real skills that could potentially save lives.

"Our personnel have undergone training specifically for this programme, which gives teenagers the skills to be good citizens and cope with emergency situations."