Payback time for crooks

Friday June 26, 2009

Convicted criminals are starting to pay their debt to society by renovating five green spaces following a public vote.

Residents have nominated Ravenscourt Park, Wormholt Estate, Wormwood Scrubs, Lillie Road Recreation Grounds and St Paul's Church, on Hammersmith Road, for makeovers.

The criminals - like vandals, thieves, graffiti-taggers and drink drivers - are now getting down to some hard graft at the five sites following the public poll.

Each location presents a different challenge to the team but a typical day's work involves plenty of manual labour - particularly trimming overgrown bushes, cleaning up graffiti and litter picking.

The criminals have already completed their first project - a stag beetle loggery at Ravenscourt Park Nature Conservation Area and the grounds of St Paul's and St Mary's Church in Hammersmith are currently being transformed.

Commenting on the Community Payback scheme, Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Cabinet Member for Crime & Street Scene, Cllr Greg Smith explained that the initiative is a key part of the council's zero tolerance crackdown on crime. He said: "The thoughtless criminals who have taken something out of society through their reckless behaviour are now being made to put something back. This punishment gives residents the power to focus the criminal's efforts on the sites that matter most to them."

Wearing their orange high visibility jackets offenders have also completed work on the Wormholt Estate and, after they have finished working on St Paul's Church, will move on to Lillie Road.

The council runs the scheme in association with the probation service and residents can still have a say on how offenders should try to make amends for their crimes.

London Chief Probation Officer Paul Wilson said: "I am pleased that we have been able to carry out this work. It is important that the work offenders do reflects what local people want."

Cllr Smith added, "While punishments like this are not a replacement for tougher prison sentences they are one way we can force criminals to make some attempt at paying residents back for the harm they have caused.

"Cracking down on the yob culture and destructive behaviour of these criminals is central to our zero tolerance approach and residents can now choose the type of unpaid work offenders carry out."

If you have a project that offenders could work on please email payback@london.probation.gsi.gov.uk.