Pupils star in gritty film on the dangers of homelessness

London schoolchildren have taken part in a hard-hitting short film aimed at stopping young people being made homeless.

Pupils from Cator Park School for Girls in Beckenham and young actors from the area star in the production by homelessness charity Alone in London.

The DVD will be sent to schools across the capital to advise children on how to deal with family conflict. The charity says 75 per cent of the young people they work with are on the street because of family problems. Zoe O'Mahoney-James, 18, a sixth-form student at Cator Park who stars in the film, said: "The film relates to young people. I think the issues it raises are really important.

"There are people who I'm close to who aren't at home at the moment. Maybe if they'd seen the DVD it would have helped."

The 15-minute film Behind Closed Doors tells the story of teenager Jay, whose sister is living on the streets after falling out with their mother. It was directed by London-based Fingertip Films, which also asked the children for help with the script, filming and editing.