Officers from the Herne Hill safer neighbourhood team (SNT) challenged youngsters from the area to a table football tournament on Friday.

The games were held at the Kids’ Company charity base in Kenbury Street. The charity provides educational and therapeutic facilities for young people excluded from school.

Herne Hill SNT has developed strong links with the charity to build trust among the young people and to open the lines of communication between them and the police.

Hundreds of teenagers make use of the charity’s daytime activities and popular after-school youth club.

Sergeant Tom Cornish of Herne Hill SNT secured the funding for the table football, enabling youngsters aged between 11 and 21 to interact with their SNT officers.

Sgt Cornish said: “My safer neighbourhood team aims to be recognised and trusted by young people. Only by doing so can we identify how to keep them safe and obtain information about under-reported youth crime.

“This friendly tournament will have long-term effects in enabling young people to talk in confidence to an officer who they recognise and trust.”