Hundreds of schoolchildren in Tunbridge Wells will be learning from safety advisers about the dangers of fooling around with electricity.

Experts from UK Power Networks, the company which owns and maintains the electricity network in Kent, will use a Victorian illusion device to tell a story which urges young people to treat power cables and substations with respect.

A variety of practical safety sessions, run by the emergency services and others, are taking place for 1,500 schoolchildren from 56 primary schools at the Solomons Centre, in Broomhill Road, Southborough, between April 20 and May 1.

The groups are joining forces as part of an initiative which aims to improve the lives of young people in Kent.

UK Power Networks’ “ghost box” educates schoolchildren about why they should never go into electricity substations or ignore yellow danger signs.

It tells a story about a boy who dies after ignoring warning signs and retrieving his ball from a substation.

There are also warnings about the dangers of flying kites and carrying fishing rods near high voltage overhead electricity cables.

UK Power Networks’ lead public safety adviser, Sonya Keating, said: “Schoolchildren have become more sophisticated and now require an exciting device that will engage them, capture their imaginations and keep them involved in the learning process.

“It helps them to understand how dangerous electricity can be if it’s not treated with respect and also recognise the danger signs to enable them to make the decisions that keep them safe.”

For more information visit: www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk