Child vandals given a hi-vis punishment
YOUNGSTERS CAUSED £1k OF DAMAGE SMASHING UP ENTRANCE
FOUR children caught vandalising a block of flats in Manchester were ordered to wear hi-vis vests and spend two hours litter picking around their local community.
The youngsters – aged between seven and 14 – are said to have caused more than £1,000 of damage to the front entrance of the building on Woodstock Road in Moston. Police were called and the two girls and two boys were identified from CCTV footage.
Their parents were then called in by Northwards Housing – which is responsible for the block of flats – and given a warning for their children’s actions.
Officers then decided to make an example out of the children by punishing them for what they did by means of ‘restorative justice.’
PCSO John Cannon, who covers the Moston and New Moston area, said it sends out a strong message to both kids and their parents.
He said: “The children were made to wear hi-vis jackets so that they stood out and the community could see that they weren’t getting away with what they had done.
“They spent two hours picking up litter around the local area, and when they were finished we had a chat about what they’d done.
“I wanted to educate them about the consequences of their actions and it seemed to work as they really got into it towards the end.
“It also sends a message to parents in the community that they have responsibility for the actions of their children if they let them run around causing anti-social behaviour.”
Anyone with information relating to antisocial behaviour is asked to contact police on 101.