IT was only a few years ago that children would be playing in the streets with Action Men and Sindy dolls. Today the trend among our youngsters is a very different one.

Because today, you could just as easily find them playing with real guns and knifes.

The revelation comes as police chiefs are trying to raise aware-ness among children of the dangers of guns and gun crime.

When police visited an unidentified school in Liverpool recently, an officer asked the question of a group of 50 children:"How many of you have either owned or held a gun, including air guns, ball bearing guns or spud guns?"

Around a fifth of the children put their hands up. Half of those said they had played with the weapon in the street.

Eighteen of theacross Liver-pool by pupils from Halewood Comprehensive's drama department. The play aims to highlight gun crime and its dangers.

A video has also been made which takes audiences on a journey through a normal day to a house party which is taken over by uninvited guests who arrive in possession of a gun.

School children have also taken part in an art competition, designing posters and paintings depicting what they believe is gun crime.

Mike says: "Many of the images are very stark. Some of the pictures showed weapons in the great-est of detail which is very worrying. There were images of pools of blood and bodies which is very graphic for 10 and 11-year-olds."

The pictures will go on display at the Maritime Museumin Liverpool next week.

Meanwhile, parents are today being