The Met Police has launched an innovative marketing campaign aimed to discourage young people from carrying knives.

'Knife City', a mock computer game demo that blends cutting-edge computer generated images (CGI) with real life footage, has been distributed on DVD to thousands of unsuspecting teenagers across London during the past two weeks.

The campaign illustrates the tragic personal and criminal consequences of carrying a knife. It opens with a CGI 'hero' - 'Jay' familiarising himself with the computer game's urban environment.

When confronted by a group of youths Jay produces a knife for protection, and after a struggle Jay stabs another character. At this point the imagery - with the exception of Jay, who remains in CGI - switches to filmed footage, as the victim lies injured on the ground. Jay is arrested and taken to a police station, where he is placed in a cell.

As the gravity of his situation becomes clear, Jay begins to turn from a computer-generated character into a real youth. The demo concludes with the message 'Carrying a knife, it's not a game'.

The DVD also incorporates a short film featuring real-life accounts from two young knife victims who explain how being stabbed devastated their lives, as well as an interview with the parents of Luke Walmsley who lost their son to a knife attack at school.

Copies of 'Knife City' have been distributed across London by street teams from radio stations Kiss 100 and Choice FM who are working in partnership with the Met.

'Knife City' is also available as a download from the Kiss 100 and Choice FM websites. To coincide with this activity, the radio stations have been broadcasting anti-knife crime messages aimed at their younger listeners.

Commander Alf Hitchcock, in overall charge of Operation Blunt, the Met's strategy to combat knife crime in the capital said:

"This is a new and innovative method of connecting with young people in London. It allows us to get our important message into the homes of thousands of teenagers. We hope that this novel approach will help convey the harsh realities of carrying a knife."

Further information and downloads may be obtained from a bespoke website supporting this campaign: www.itsnotagame.org