Posted on 16th February 2012
Offenders on the Community Payback Scheme are giving a Chesterfield park a facelift as part of a partnership project to improve the area and reduce nuisance behaviour. 
Derbyshire Probation Service’s Community Payback team started the clean-up at Lansbury Avenue Park, Mastin Moor on Thursday, February 16.
As part of project offenders carrying out unpaid work will remove old fencing, cut back overgrown trees and bushes and carry out a general tidy up of the park.
The work is being carried out on behalf of the Mastin Moor Action Group (MAG) which was set up at the start of the year to help reduce anti-social behaviour around the village and on the park area.
The group is made up of a number of agencies including Staveley Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, Chesterfield Community Safety Partnership and Chesterfield Borough Council as well as local residents. 
Members of MAG approached the Probation Service to carry out the work to help improve the park for the community.
Michael Walker, supervisor for unpaid work for Derbyshire Probation Service, said: “These offenders feel they are putting something back into the community and they can see the benefit of projects like these.”
Offenders on the scheme have posted letters and nuisance logs from the police and local council to every house asking residents to detail when and where anti-social behaviour is taking place and who is involved.
Community Safety Partnership Sergeant Les Rawson said: “There are many actions being taken in the area by the action group to help improve the lives of local residents.”
To report nuisance behaviour call Derbyshire police on the non-emergency number 101.