Offenders clean up Burnley grot-spot (From Burnley and Pendle Citizen)

Offenders clean up Burnley grot-spot

2:30pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Burnley By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter

A FLY-TIPPED stretch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal through Burnley has been transformed by offenders sentenced to community work.

The piece of land was overgrown and had become a dumping ground for household rubbish.

The council teamed up with Lancashire Probation Trust to cut back the vegetation from the embankment at the end of Sandhurst, Hobart and Hunslet streets and clear away rubbish.

Coun Shah Hussain, the council’s executive member for community services, said: “This stretch of the canal had become badly overgrown and a magnet for fly-tipping and it was an eyesore.

“Clearing the vegetation and the rubbish has transformed this area and improved the quality of life for nearby residents.

“We’re hoping to continue this kind of joint working with the Probation Trust over the coming year.

“We will be looking for similar sites that would benefit from this kind of clean-up.”

Staff from the council’s streetscene and greenspaces units teamed up with offenders carrying out community service as part of their sentence to do the work which supports the daily work undertaken by council staff.

Lorraine Slater, Lancashire Probation Trust practice manager for community payback, said: “Working in partnership with Burnley Council allows us to provide a tough community payback punishment, while giving offenders the skills and work experience that can help them find employment and break the cycle of reoffending.

“At the same time, the offenders are completing unpaid work to pay back to the community for their crimes and providing support to the council’s teams to enable them to do even more great work in the town.”