TEAMS from local primary schools battled it out at a tag rugby tournament at West Mercia Police HQ.

Six teams were selected to take part in the tournament, organised by the Rugby Football Union.

West Mercia Police’s 2011 Tag champions were Brockhampton Primary School, near Bromyard, who will join five other teams in a West Midlands tournament where the winners will play at Twickenham later this year Among the other five teams to qualify for the West Midlands competition are St Nicholas CE Middle School, Pinvin, near Pershore; Bosbury Primary School, Bosbury, near Ledbury, and Ashperton Primary School, Ashperton, near Ledbury.

West Mercia Police has been developing its Tag Rugby initiative for more than three years in partnership with the RFU and Child Victims of Crime (CVOC).

The force has trained more than 150 local police officers and community support officers to deliver coaching and run tournaments as part of their youth inclusion programme. They use the opportunity to engage with local children and deliver personal safety messages.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Edens attended the event and presented the trophy to Brockhampton Primary School.

He said: “We started our Tag programme at the end of 2007 working with just 15 schools.

“We’ve quickly moved on to dozens of schools taking part and the chance for us to have contact with thousands of children.

“It enables local policing teams to interact with young people, their families and schools in a positive and fun way and to deliver key messages that will help to promote personal safety and healthy lifestyles.

“I am very pleased with how the day went and I continue to be impressed by the standards of the children’s rugby skills – they are getting better and better all the time. Hopefully one of our teams can make it to Twickenham again this year, which will be a great achievement.”