Schoolchildren heard from a mother whose son was shot in gang violence.

Pupils from Aylward Academy in Edmonton went to Wood Green Crown Court to hear the accounts of the mother, former gang members and police officers about the terror of gang culture.

Traditionally aimed at current members of gangs in Enfield, the ninth 'call-in' focused on school students who might be considering entering gang lifestyle.

The children heard from Karen, who lost her 20-year-old son five years ago after he was shot five times in Wandsworth.

Karen spoke of her torment that still haunts her since her son’s death.

She said: “I started to get phones calls and then the police came to my house and said it was my son, he was shot five times at the age of 20, three times in his back.

“He started doing little things, stupid things and started to think these gangs were his family. They are not your family when you’re shot in the back and they run. They are not your family when the police come knocking on your door. They are only worried about themselves.

“He will never have the chance you guys have know. This is never-ending trauma, I will always have this void that I can never fill and everyone will go through this. I want you to have the chance to take whatever help there is to get out of this. Take the chance while you can.”

Photographs of people’s injuries after being shot or stabbed were shown to the children while Martin Griffiths, a surgeon at the Royal London Hospital, spoke to the audience.

He said: “I have job and one job only, as far as you’re concerned. I convert murder into attempted murder. When you get stabbed or shot, it is me who has to save your life.

“I spend every single day operation on people who receive terrible life-changing injuries. They are always permanently damaged. All they have is the memory of this and nothing else. Harm is out there, it does not have to be yours.”

The shocked pupils also got to hear from a former female gang member, the first to give a talk at a call-in.

Known only as Lacy, she said: “I am serving a 13-year sentence for attempting to smuggle drugs into the UK. I was 18 when I got arrested.

“I am still in prison. I am in an open prison, I have done six years. I thought I had so many friends when I went in, not one person has written to me. I know work with Foundation4Life who have helped me get a job and the reason I am here today. Just look at where I am after just three months.”

When asked outside the court about why girls get involved in gangs, Lacy said: “I think that girls hear guys saying oh you’re beautiful, you’re this and that and promise them money and expensive clothes and flashy cars to get them involved. But one day you are going to end up dead on in prison because of this life.

“I think it is getting worse because kids who join gangs are getting younger and younger.”

Jermaine Jones-Lawlor, a reformed gang member has spoken at the majority of the call-ins, said: “You will get hard knocks in life but it is about making the right choices and decisions and I hope the people here today listen to everything that has been said and take advantage of what they heard.”

Speaking about gang culture in the borough, Chief Inspector Ian Kibblewhite of Enfield police said: “It is always there. We have run some really big operations and taken out 20 or so higher gang members.

“We know there are always people being pulled in and so whilst it may have been quiet for a while, it does not go away.”

He added:  “If you chose to go in to gangs, we will go after you with anything at our disposal."

Councillor Chris Bond of Enfield Council added: “There are two gangs in Enfield that we know of and consist of a couple of hundred members.

“They do cause damage and it gives insecurity to residents in Enfield. We are showing residents that we are doing something about this and trying to stop it happening which I think is a comfort.”