A GROUP of young people have made amends for their anti-social behaviour by working with police to clean up public areas.

The youths were caught by police in Northallerton earlier this month after a spate of graffiti around the town and were given the chance to help repair the damage instead of entering the criminal justice system.

The clean up day during half term was part of North Yorkshire Police’s Youth Restorative Justice Scheme, which aims to divert young people away from petty crime and stop them falling into the cycle of the justice system..

PC Izzy Wilkinson, of Northallerton Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "We hope this course of action has instilled a greater sense of responsibility and value in those concerned and has gone some way to redressing their anti-social behaviour while keeping them out of the criminal justice system."

The youths involved worked to remove graffiti, pick litter and paint the outside walls of number of charitable organisations in the town.

A parent of one of the offenders said: "We are very upset and shamed by our son's actions, but are grateful for the opportunity for him to learn without getting a criminal record."

District Councillor David Blades said: "I think it is good we can use these means to keep these young people out of court and from what I have seen so far of restorative justice it is very positive. It is a pro-active way of preventing such crime."