Offenders to be made to clean up vandalism ‘within 48 hours’

Offenders across the country will be made to clean up vandalism within 48 hours of cases being reported to the council, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced.

“Rapid deployment teams” of people serving community sentences will be called on to carry out work such as scrubbing graffiti and picking up litter as part of plans to “swiftly deal with” antisocial behaviour.

The MoJ said the measures were aimed at making offenders “atone for their crimes in a way that benefits the law-abiding majority” and “allows the public to see justice being done in their own communities”.

The rollout across England and Wales follows a pilot of the programme which launched in 2023 in Greater Manchester, the East of England, Wales and the North East.

Members of the public are being invited to nominate projects in their local area for offenders to work on within 48 hours of vandalism cases being reported to the council and passed on to the Probation Service.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: “Anti-social behaviour undermines people’s sense of pride in their communities and makes them feel unsafe in the place they call home. That’s why this Government is taking a zero-tolerance approach with our plan to stamp it out.

“Our plan is working, with clean-up teams not only tackling the corrosive effect of such crimes but also forcing offenders to repay their debts to the very neighbourhoods they have harmed – cutting reoffending and making our streets safer.”

Both main parties have ramped up commitments on law and order in recent months ahead of the general election this year, with senior Tories believing a focus on “bread and butter” Conservative issues will help as Rishi Sunak seeks to overturn Labour’s opinion poll lead.

Labour pointed to policing cuts under the Tories as it accused the ruling party of failing on criminal justice.

Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood MP also questioned whether the pilot scheme had delivered on its aims, saying: “The Conservatives have let antisocial behaviour make people’s lives a misery by slashing neighbourhood police and failing to deliver effective community payback.

“This announcement is very quiet about whether offenders on the pilot scheme actually carried out the promised 20,000 hours in six months.

“They’ve nicked Labour’s policy on clean up squads, as they have no answers on the challenges facing our country.

“It’s yet another example of a government that can’t deliver justice and has run out of steam.

“A Labour government will take back Britain’s streets by putting 13,000 more bobbies on the beat and strengthening community payback, to punish criminals, cut crime and protect communities.”