Justice scheme funded after government pulls out

Immediate Justice supervisor Clive Sparling tells a participant about the work they will be doing

A Police Fire and Crime commissioner (PFCC) decided to pay for an immediate justice scheme after the Home Office withdrew funding last year.

In 2023, Northamptonshire was one of 16 areas in England and Wales chosen to participate in a new crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

The project started in the county in December 2023 and in that time 166 participants have completed a total of nearly 800 hours of work, helping projects in the community.

The Labour PFCC Danielle Stone said: "I would like the government to take it more seriously and continue to fund it." However, a Home Office spokesperson said the scheme takes time to set up and would not have offered "value for taxpayer money".

A climbing frame at a playground in Flore before and after work was undertaken to paint it

The PFCC's office has committed £100,000 towards the scheme for at least 12 months.

Ms Stone said: "The more work we can do on that prevention and early intervention the better it's going to be for all of us, it will bring crime figures down, it'll make those at risk of entering the criminal justice system to rethink where they're going."

The Immediate Justice programme, which is run by the PFCC's office, 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 takes children as young as 12 years-old with no upper age limit, by police officers and PCSOs.

Brodie Lodge playing fields was gifted to the village of Flore in the 1960s and is now run by the Friends of Brodie Lodge Playing Fields.

Its treasurer, Geoff Fellowes, said he contacted the commissioner's office to ask if it could take part in the scheme.

"The field is run by trustees who are all volunteered and there's a lot of work involved in the upkeep so we were hoping for some help in maintaining and improving the field," he said.

One of the three Immediate Justice supervisors Clive Sparling

Four people have worked for 20 hours repairing a climbing frame and swings in the playing field.

Clive Sparling, an Immediate Justice supervisor, and retired police officer, said the scheme has had a massive impact.

"A lot of the areas have remained clean and tidy," he said.

"The crimes committed have reduced and we've been able to put back into the community."

A Home Office spokesperson told the BBC: "The previous government's immediate justice pilots demonstrated that it takes significant time to get projects up and running, and only six months of funding was available to other police forces new to the scheme.

"This would not have been an effective nation-wide programme for tackling anti-social behaviour, nor would it offer value for taxpayer money - even more so in the light of the state of public finances which this government has inherited."