Newham’s Volunteer Police Cadets hosted a mock court competition in Stratford last week.

Teams of 15 cadets from all over East London were invited to take part in the event at Stratford Magistrates’ Court last Saturday.

Two Magistrates, two solicitors and two Senior Police Leaders from Newham, including Chief Inspector Chaudhri and Det Chief Inspector Matthews, made up the teams of judges with the cadets being marked on various factors of their overall performance.

The Redbridge team won the competition.

PC Tony Bacon, Youth Engagement Coordinator for Newham “This is another first for Newham VPC. Thank you to Newham Senior Leadership Team, Elizabeth Cuffy, VPC Central Team, the magistrates, solicitors, Serco, and all of the police officers and police staff who made this day possible and for supporting us in the realisation of this ambitious project.

“And of course thank you the cadets who all turned up in full uniform and took on the challenge head first.

“The feedback from the cadets was fantastic. It gives them a unique insight in to the Justice System and goes a long way to demystifying the whole process. Working closely with officers from Newham and the surrounding boroughs, as well as the significant contribution from the courts, this competition was a great success for all involved.”