Drug tests and ban on hoodies to tackle violence at colleges

Students will be given random drug tests, frisked for weapons and told to wear their hoodies down in a drive to cut gang crime in London's colleges.

Airport-style metal detectors should be introduced alongside visible policing in some of the worst affected institutions, ministers say.

A report by the Association of Colleges and City Hall said nine out of 10 London colleges have experienced gang-related violence. And a government study found students had easy access to guns and knives, while drug dealers operated at the gates of some colleges. Fights on campus were reported, with rare cases of students being killed or seriously injured.

In an initiative backed by education minister David Lammy and Boris Johnson, colleges are being sent new government guidance. It says colleges should consider:

Random drug tests, weapons searches, use of knife arches and metal detector wands, and personal security alarms for staff.

Passes or ID cards, turnstiles, random ID checks, and CCTV.

A "hoods down" policy so that faces are visible to security cameras.

More police visible on site, along with permanent security staff.

The College of North East London, College of North West London and Lewisham College were praised for taking action to tackle violence.