SCHOOLKIDS were taken on a canal trip to see the effects of vandalism on their community.

The P6 children from Lenzie Moss Primary School were also given a lesson in water safety during the hour-long barge trip along the Forth and Clyde Canal.

It was the first in a series of educational trips on the canal for 1500 P6 and P7 pupils from 32 schools in Glasgow North and East Dunbartonshire.

They're being organised by Strathclyde Police, East Dunbartonshire Community Safety Partnership and the Forth and Clyde Canal Society.

Sergeant Alan Dyet, Kirkintilloch Police community safety officer, said the aim was to show children their communities as they'd never seen them before.

He added: "This is a valuable opportunity to put across a good citizenship message to pupils in an exciting learning environment."