ARSENAL FC’s stars of the future were given a stark warning by Potters Bar firefighters about handling expensive, high-powered cars.

The firefighters demonstrated the horrors of being involved in a serious road smash to academy scholars from the Premier League club.

A crew from the Mutton Lane fire station used hydraulic cutting equipment to cut volunteers from the academy out of two cars set up in a crash scenario.

The vehicles, one of them a BMW, had been donated and transported to Arsenal’s training ground in London Colney by Potters Bar-based Lantern Recovery Specialists.

The visit was organised by firefighter Danny Spaul, who actually played for the Gunners’ academy team five years ago.

He said: “It is really important we get the serious message about safe driving across to the team.

“They are all new, inexperienced drivers of 17 and 18 years old, but unlike the majority of teenagers, many of them can afford expensive high performance cars.

“A combination which can have dangerous consequences including an injury that causes an abrupt end to their football career, or in the worst case scenario, a tragic end to their own life or someone else’s.”

Danny said: “We delivered a hard-hitting presentation which highlighted not only the dangers, but also the massive increase in accidents associated with the use of mobile phones and in-car technology by young drivers.

“We wanted to work with them to make this message really hit home. Cutting someone out of a car is very traumatic and even the controlled demonstration would have been quite realistic and frightening.”

He added: “We can only hope they remember what we have told them and that it helps them make the right decisions when they are behind the wheel, or as a passenger in another person’s car.”