I hereby sentence you to... knitting!

...Or hedgehog house building with soft justice

CRIMINALS are being let off with tasks such as knitting and building hedgehog dens under the SNP’s ‘soft touch’ community service scheme.

Offenders are also studying for driving theory tests and taking part in ‘social media training’ as an alternative to jail sentences.

Lockdown meant some were spared cleaning duties – while others could ‘work from home’ using ‘learning packs’.

The disclosures undermine claims by former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill that Community Payback Orders (CPOs) would force offenders to pay for their crimes ‘through the sweat of their brow’. Last night Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘Victims of crime will be extremely disappointed that some of these examples are a punishment according to the SNP.

‘The SNP Government froze the criminal justice social work budget, meaning underfunded councils are forced to run activities like these. They make a mockery of the SNP’s claim it is serious about tackling crime.’

The City of Edinburgh Council said female offenders were allowed to knit as part of their CPOs. The women in this group had ‘histories of trauma and abuse and had struggled to complete orders in the past, sometimes resulting in breaches and periods in custody’, it added.

The knitting – for homeless people – allowed the women to ‘develop a skill and to build up self-esteem’.

East Renfrewshire Council said activities such as ‘social media training’ were part of its CPO activities ‘to provide the skills and guidance to help reduce reoffending’.

North Lanarkshire Council said ‘making bird/bat boxes and hedgehog dens’ was part of the ‘unpaid work’ element of criminals’ CPOs. West Dunbartonshire Council said ‘home working’ is included in unpaid work criminals must complete as part of their community sentence – with ‘home learning packs’ sent out to offenders. The content of the packs was not disclosed.

West Lothian Council said criminals were completing driving theory courses as part of their community sentences, and Clackmannanshire Council said due to Covid-19 criminals no longer did cleaning work in their community – and the jobs of unpaid work squads had been suspended.

It emerged last month that criminals are being let off 300,000 hours of CPO because of Covid restrictions.

Council umbrella body Cosla said: ‘Providing offenders with “other activity” is in line with national guidance for CPOs.’

A spokesman for the SNP said: ‘Our approach is working. Community sentences and other measures work better than short sentences, and they work best when sentences benefit local communities.’