SNOW: Offenders on Community Payback clear ice from Wirral's Conway Park Station (From Wirral Globe)

SNOW: Offenders on Community Payback clear ice from Wirral's Conway Park Station

4:13pm Thursday 7th January 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(10)

Offenders on Community Payback have been assisting Wirral Council and members of the public by gritting and clearing ice and snow outside Conway Park Station.

Five people including an elderly man had already fallen there as a result of the icy conditions and the area had been deemed a priority site by the local authority.

Now, thanks to the work of the offenders and their supervisor, the area is clear.

Operations manager for Community Payback, Gary O’Keefe offered the clean up service to the council yesterday, and teams of offenders have also been clearing the areas around Hamilton Square Station and pavements on Europa Boulevard.

Steve Maddox, chief executive at Wirral Council said: “My thanks to everyone undertaking this work - it is very much appreciated.”

Sue Brown, assistant chief officer at Merseyside Probation Trust said: “This is a great example of what Community Payback and partnership work is all about, and the appreciation of the public is very evident.”

Elsewhere on Merseyside offenders are helping to reduce the risk to the elderly and vulnerable by removing ice and snow in high priority areas, working in partnership with council staff.

Merseyside Probation Trust has around 90 Community Payback projects running at any one time across Merseyside, helping save communities over £1m annually in unpaid labour.

The initiative is part of the Justice Seen, Justice Done campaign, which aims to make the work of offenders more visible to local communities.

This was launched in Spring of 2009 by Louise Casey, the Government’s Advisor on Crime and Justice, and entails offenders on Community Payback wearing hi-visibility orange vests and working in partnership with local authorities.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(10)