WORK in a Caerphilly borough park is being completed by offenders as part of a campaign to ensure our communities are kept clean and tidy.

The offenders are on the community payback scheme and will carry out work in Sirhowy Country Park near Crosskeys as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘The Great British Spring Clean’. They will be carrying out unpaid work including painting fences and planting, clearing pathways, improving biodiversity, nature recovery and clearing litter.

South Wales Argus: Offenders cleaning around Sirhowy Country ParkOffenders cleaning around Sirhowy Country Park

HM Prison and Probation Service director general for probation, Wales and youth, Amy Rees, said: “Getting offenders to pay for their crimes in a way that visibly benefits the community they have harmed is critical to making them think twice about reoffending.

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“Offenders are involved in community projects around the country every day. To support this year’s Great British Spring Clean, we are mobilising more than a thousand offenders to give them a chance to payback our communities and show that justice is being done as well as make positive changes to their lives.

“Yesterday I visited Sirhowy Country Park to see first-hand how offender are working hard to help maintain the beautiful parkland so it can be enjoyed by all the community.”

South Wales Argus: Amy ReesAmy Rees

The offenders – who have committed crimes including theft, criminal damage and alcohol-related incidents – will be wearing high-vis jackets with ‘community payback’ on the back of them.

Every year, more than 50,000 offenders are given unpaid work as punishment for their crimes.