Young rugby fans can now get hold of collectable cards featuring their heroes in a police community initiative.

Cop Trumps is based on the popular card game Top Trumps, and features pictures and statistics of different rugby league players.

Each card lists the number of tries scored and tackles made by a player, along with a positive message or slogan, which is also given a points value.

On the back, the cards carry further police messages about respect and safety, which have been designed by Bradford schoolchildren.

The card game is part of the Give it a Try campaign by West Yorkshire Police. The campaign has been running for seven years and is aimed at delivering community safety messages to young people in a fun and interesting way.

This year children helped decide which messages would go on the cards at a rugby league day organised by the police, Bradford Council, Bradford Bulls and Queensbury rugby league club.

Superintendent Ian White-house of West Yorkshire Police, said: "The concept of the collector card range has been immensely popular since 1999. They are a vehicle for pertinent crime reduction and respect messages for young people.

"This time we decided to use children from Bradford to look at how we can best get these messages across to other kids."

Emily Wilson, project officer of community safety at the police, said: "We wanted to promote the messages in a more pro-active way, so now when children are playing they have to read the messages out."

There are 18 cards to collect for each of West Yorskhire's rugby league teams.

Players from the Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, Huddersfield Giants, Wakefield Wildcats and Castleford Tigers feature on the cards.

Jamie Langley and Andy Lynch of the Bulls, as well as former Bulls' skipper, Robbie Paul, gave their backing at the official launch of the campaign yesterday.

Bulls forward Jamie said: "Whether you choose to be or not, a professional sportsman has to be a role model for the young kids who watch you play.

"Hopefully it will put people in good stead to portray these images in their lives."

Almost 250,000 Cop Trumps cards have been made and will be given out to enthusiasts at specific games in West Yorkshire, starting with the next Bulls match on Friday, May 18, away to Huddersfield Giants. The cards will also be launched at www.westyorkshire.police.uk.