Young volunteer police cadets were put in charge for a day.

The 12 youngsters, who are aged between 14 and 16, were invited to ‘take over’ Cambs Police and the office of Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright as part of the Children’s Commissioner Take Over Day 2014.

The annual initiative is designed to give young people across the UK an opportunity to experience the world of work and play a role in important decision-making processes.

During the day, the volunteer police cadets took part in mock daily management meetings where they were asked to choose a neighbourhood concern.

They then presented a case for action to Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hopkins who helped them decide which problem to prioritise.

The volunteer police cadets then prepared a briefing for the police team who will have one month to tackle the problem and report back.

The issue they decided to prioritise was drugs use in and around schools.

The volunteer police cadets also took part in a workshop event in the afternoon to help the force work through some of the recommendations from the All Party Parliamentary Review concerning young people.

The workshop focussed on stop and search tactics, engagement and marketing to young people and how young people can influence policing training.

Sir Graham said: “The Take Over Day encourages organisations to take time to listen to young people and celebrate the positive contribution they can make to communities and society as a whole.

“By giving young people a stronger voice we will be able to make better decisions about services which directly affect them.”

Fourteen year old volunteer police cadet Daniel Flack said: ”This was a new experience for all of us. It was great being listened to and involved in making decisions about how to tackle crime from the point of view of young people.

“We were able to discuss with the police our views on important issues such as how to tackle drug use in young people.”