Offenders clean up their act

Community Payback Supervisor, Neil McLaren overseeing offenders working to tidy up on Whitworth Road.

The Community Payback clean-up is well underway in Rochdale following input from local residents.

The site on Whitworth Road emerged as a clear winner with 70 percent of the votes when locals were asked to vote for their preferred projects to benefit from Community Payback.

Offenders have been busy litter picking and cutting back the thick overgrowth in the area that was proving to be an eyesore.

Wearing high-visibility orange jackets the offenders are expected to be carrying out work in the Whitworth Road area for approximately three weeks.

Community Payback is a scheme for probation services to arrange for offenders to make amends for the harm they have caused by carrying out supervised work in local communities.

Councillor Ted Flynn, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “Community Payback projects deliver tough punishments for criminals but they also bring about positive changes in local communities. Now more than ever local people can see justice is being done.”

This is first of five Community Payback clean-up projects due to be carried out this year organised by Rochdale Borough Council and Greater Manchester Probation Trust. The other projects include: Taylor Street, Spodden Street, Merefield Street and Norwich Street.

Malcolm Humphreys, Community Payback Manager for Greater Manchester Probation Trust, said: “These projects provide us with ideal opportunities to demonstrate how offenders doing Community Payback can contribute to improving and making the local surroundings safer for everyone.

“We very much look forward to successful outcomes.”

Nationally over 6 million hours of Community Payback is carried out by offenders each year for free. If paid at the national minimum wage, this work would be valued at £34.5m and otherwise might not be done.

To find out more about Community Payback or to nominate a project visit:

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/crime