Remembrance garden cleaned up in justice scheme

The Remembrance Garden at St Lawrence Church in Towcester was built in 2018

A Remembrance garden has been spruced up by teenagers through a pilot programme designed to help low-level offenders.

Five teens spent five days transforming the Garden of Remembrance on the grounds of St Lawrence Church in Towcester, Northamptonshire through the Immediate Justice programme.

They were caught committing anti-social behaviour on the church grounds and were ordered to carry out work to the area.

Rev Paula Challen, Rector at St Lawrence Church, said that the scheme brings "positive change" to young people.

Rev Paula Challen praised the Immediate Justice scheme

"As a church reliant on volunteers, having the help of young people taking part in the immediate justice programme to restore what is such a special place, has been brilliant," she added.

The Immediate Justice programme, which is run by Northamptonshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Danielle Stone, offers an alternative to prosecution for people who have committed smaller offences like criminal damage or causing a public nuisance.

Offenders can be referred to the programme, which has started accepting 12-18-year-olds, by police officers and PCSOs.

More than 100 people have taken part in the pilot scheme since the beginning of the year, completing more than 500 hours of work.

'Ownership for their actions'

The Garden of Remembrance, which was built in 2018 to celebrate the centenary of the end of the First World War, has now been decorated ready for upcoming Remembrance Day celebrations.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Lorna Clarke of Northamptonshire Police, who made the referral to the scheme, said it helps young people "take some ownership for their actions".

She said: "We have been working with St Lawrence Church for a while and when we learnt of the issues they were having with anti-social behaviour, a referral to the Immediate Justice programme seemed a good fit.

"To give back in this way has been really positive."

PFCC Ms Stone, said: "In every town I go to people tell me that anti-social behaviour is a problem.

"People want to see those who have committed crimes, pay for them."

She added she and her team were looking at how Immediate Justice programme be taken forward in the longer term.