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Scotland Yard has released a murder mystery video on Facebook warning teenagers in the capital of the potential repercussions of involvement in knife crime.

'Who Killed Deon?' depicts the murder of a young man at a house party and then allows viewers to follow six individual characters to identify who committed the crime. The application aims to illustrate that it is not only the character wielding the knife who may be convicted of the murder.

The initiative is part of a campaign to tackle the sense of collective immunity from prosecution felt by gang members, and draw attention to a piece of legislation governing group culpability known as 'Joint Enterprise', demonstrating the penalties open to those who stand by and withhold evidence of violent crime from the police.

As the page clarifies: 'Joint Enterprise means that if your presence, knowledge or actions lead to a serious crime such as murder you too could be charged with murder.

'You don't have to pull the trigger or stab somebody to be charged with murder. It could be supplying the weapon or driving the killer to the crime scene knowing that something bad is going to happen.

'Always think about company - who you're with and what their intentions are, the choices you make and the consequences of not making the right decision.'

The Facebook film follows on from a previous interactive campaign by the Met Office targeting knife crime called 'Choose your own ending', comprising a series of short films in which viewers are invited to determine the course of the action and witness the consequences.

Commander Simon Foy, head of the MPS Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: 'The hope is that once young people appreciate the way the law operates, they will think twice about their involvement with groups and gangs and walk away before any trouble starts.

'If we can get young people thinking about what they're doing, we're well on our way to educating them. We are tapping into something which young people in particular just haven't thought about.'

The campaign has also received the backing of London Mayor Boris Johnson, who added: 'Be warned, there are no excuses for anyone involved in horrific gang violence. If you stand by whilst a friend commits a serious crime, you are as guilty as them in the eyes of the law.

'Hanging around with people who carry weapons and get into trouble could result in a long prison sentence regardless of your involvement. My advice is think twice, don't get involved or you could spend the rest of your life regretting it.'

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