Last weekend, a newspaper sought to publish an allegation about an incident involving Prince Charles At the last moment it was prevented from doing so. The Royal Family has a unique capacity to make an awkward situation incomparably worse. I think that’s really dangerous.Sarah says that she and a friend got drunk in school “We were puking everywhere The teachers just laughed, and said ‘that’s your lesson’. Although some are really strict.”Despite it all, Jane says: “I’m not scared in school because there are teachers there It’s more outside. If you’re not involved with the gangs or the kids who fight then you are OK I do like going to school.”. You want to drink.”"A lot of people hang around on street corners,” continues Jane, “until about 1am They get drunk and shout things at other gangs. Boys don’t smoke tobacco, although they do blaze [smoke grass].

It’s mainly girls who smoke, smoking tobacco is seen as girlie.”People go out just to drink and blaze but I go out to meet friends I go to clubs. If I get asked for ID then I just leave.”"It’s mainly the smaller clubs or new clubs that let you in,” adds Michael “There isn’t any pressure to drink. It’s the ‘joggies’ [kids with hoody tops] who have nothing better to do.”At the weekends this group blow their cash on booze “Everyone takes drugs,” says Jane “It’s mainly weed but a few people take pills, like ecstasy They start in year seven. They want to be harder than anybody else, they start fights over little things.”Sarah adds: “They tried to run me over on a motorbike We were just walking down the road. If they heard you had called someone’s girlfriend a name or something, then they would come in It’s all about pride …

Where pupils have been caught they have been suspended or excluded.Large gang fights are not unusual and sixth-formers have had to be issued with identity cards to stop groups of older boys pretending to be pupils and getting into the school to continue their vendettas.”If there’s an argument or fight in school one person will get their friends and there will be a big gang outside, and that can be intimidating.They would come into the school over anything. “One boy got stabbed with a pitchfork by a boy from another school. Someone got shot in the eye with a pellet, but that was an accident. And people bring in fireworks and let them off.”They don’t think the teachers know about the knives or they would have acted on it. They bring knives to school because people know who they are, and they could be attacked on the way. They carry knives to look after themselves.” They are ordinary knives, just kitchen knives say the children.”I don’t think the kids here use flick knives – though others do,” says Jane.

“One of my friends got threatened with a hammer.”Michael adds: “There are rival gangs and they carry knives and go off at lunchtime to have a fight. The girls have all been followed home, usually by older boys from other schools, although fortunately nothing has happened.”Kids carry knives and hammers,” says Jane. He can’t be everywhere at once.”"It brings more authority,” chips in her friend, Sarah. “Nobody listens to the teachers.”But, Jane continues: “I probably wouldn’t go and see him. If you get seen then the word would get around that you were grassing someone up.”Michael says he has been beaten up twice. And it is scary to think you have to have a policeman in school – but it doesn’t make me feel any safer. Their parents are architects, teachers, housewives or technicians.