COMPUTER games featuring graphic violence have often been blamed for youngsters turning to crime.

But a group of teenagers have turned this on its head by creating a game warning of the dangers of getting embroiled in gangs, knives and drugs.

Soul Control was put together by 20 young people from across London, including Greenwich and Lewisham.

It includes some former offenders and teenagers at risk of social exclusion.

Stephen Mazonis, 18, from Kidbrooke, who came up with the idea, along with Adam Brown, 17, from Charlton, said: "In Soul Control, you play a teenager on a London estate and have to interact with other characters in the street, your family and your mates."

The project was created with help from RollingSound, a company based in New Cross which offers multimedia courses such as web design and photography.

Set in a run-down estate with graffiti-strewn streets, the video game is intended to be as authentic as possible.

Characters are given simple tasks such as going to a friend's house, but are tempted by people asking them to deliver drugs or carry a knife.

If characters are drawn into crime, they may get caught by police or attacked by a gang.

Project manager at Rolling Sound Kris Turvey said: "For any action you do which is even mildly wrong, you reap repercussions later in the game."

Christianna Grant-Phillips, 16, of Fermor Road, Forest Hill, who has been involved in the scheme, believes it is an effective way of making youngsters reflect on their behaviour.

She said: "It makes people think about it if they are shown the consequences, not told them."

RollingSound, which aims to tackle to growing number of people who are not in employment, education or training, received around £19,000 of funding for the project from Mediabox, a Government pot to help young people have a positive voice in the media.

From this week, the game, which also combines film and music, will be distributed free to schools.

The game is being targeted at young teenagers, and aims to stop them getting involved in crime.

It has also been launched as a free downloadable game at soulcontrolgame.co.uk