Clarkson Community High School students were featured in The West Australian newspaper Thursday 22 September 2016. Article courtesy of Tayissa Sweetlove

It is rare for police to want to see teenagers let loose inside a police car but this week saw a notable exception.

A WA Police Academy resilience program invited six automotive enthusiasts from Clarkson Community High School to help with the finishing touches of the restoration of a vintage police sedan.

The 1964 Ford Anglia, formerly on display in the WA Police Historical Society museum looked as good as new when the students were finished.

Program founder Inspector Gordon Fairman said activities like the car's restoration helped foster a better relationship between police and school-aged children in the north-western suburbs.

"When I started attending Clarkson there was a great reluctance from the students to engage with us and there was a fear and stigma with having anything to do with us," he said.

"Now that's completely changed, we're building a better relationship with those kids, and giving them a sense of belonging in the community."

The restoration was made possible with assistance from Seaview Ford, which gave the students an opportunity to learn more about car mechanics.

Inspector Fairman said the experience gave the students "another half page on their resume" and helped foster business contacts that teh students could use when they left school.

He said the car would likely take pride of place at an upcoming police graduation.