THIS year's Crucial Crew involving hundreds of local schoolchildren will be the biggest yet.

Between April 29 and May 9, 728 year six students from Craven's 32 primary and middle school will take part in the safety awareness event near Gargrave.

But instead of spending just a morning or afternoon undertaking a series of safety scenarios, youngsters will spend a full day at Eshton Grange - the base of Play Away.

For the first time, the event will include aspects of citizenship with morning lessons on anti-social behaviour, relationships, the environment and recycling, and the right of children. Then after a packed lunch on the theme of healthy eating, youngsters will tour the site visiting scenarios, all based around safety and crime awareness.

The event has been co-ordinated by Craven's youth action officer PC Neil Hargreaves.

He told the Herald: "This event has been made possible due to generous sponsorship from Skipton Building Society which is the major sponsor for all Crucial Crew events taking place in North Yorkshire over the next three years.

"This along with continued support from the Craven Crime Reduction Partnership has allowed us to expand to a full day in only our second year of running the event locally.

"This can only assist in protecting the young people of Craven, and developing them into good citizens for the future."

There are 21 agencies involved this year, including North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Victim Support Craven, Craven Domestic Violence Services, Arriva Trains Northern, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Royal Life Saving Society, Craven school nurses and health visitors, Craven Organisation For Drugs and Alcohol, Schools' Waste Action Club, and Craven Volunteer Bureau.