Teenage troublemakers get a lesson in restorative justice

Two teenage troublemakers caught setting a fire in the Pyes Mill picnic cabin at Loddon have been forced to go litter picking in the town.

It is part of a Norfolk Constabulary and South Norfolk Council backed restorative justice campaign.

The two, aged 17 and 18, were seen by a witness, who reported it to the police. The two even used a mobile phone to film what they were doing and it was later confiscated by police as evidence.

Their 54-second footage showed them setting fire to objects in the cabin then throwing aerosols onto it, causing minor explosions. The incident happened on Thursday 2 July, in the evening.

Fortunately no people or animals were nearby and the cabin was not damaged, but the grass was scorched.

Last week, the two met representatives from South Norfolk Council, on behalf of the "harmed" community.

And they were put to work litter picking, having been warned that they had just missed out on being charged and facing prosecution.

In another incident at around the same time, again at Pyes Mill, another teenager - a 15 year old - vandalised a gate. He too will face restorative justice.

Councillor Colin Gould, who represents Loddon at South Norfolk Council, is a former police officer in the town.

He said:

"These youngsters behaved like idiots. They let themselves, their families and their community down. The instant, restorative justice they have received humiliates them in front of their peers, who have also got the message.

"It means our community benefits by being a cleaner, and a safer place because they won't be doing this sort of thing again. And the wider community benefits from not having to pay the enormous cost of taking these two through the criminal justice system. They have learned their lesson.

"Finally, I would like to thank the witness who called this in, for their public spirit and their willingness to join with us in fighting anti-social behaviour and crime."

Loddon Safer Neighbourhood Team Inspector John Allison said:

“Some individuals fail to appreciate the impact their behaviour has on others within their community. Restorative justice is a means of bringing those responsible face-to-face with those whom their behaviour has affected.

“The youths responsible on this occasion have been given a number of hours litter picking within the community. It is hoped that the meeting and the litter picking will help them appreciate the affect their actions have had on other community members.”

Loddon Safer Neighbourhood Team works hard to make the local area a safer place to live, work and visit. It recently won the award for Safer Neighbourhood Team of the Year.

Members of the neighbourhood policing team won recognition for their outstanding achievements in a number of different aspects to improve the quality of life for local residents, especially reducing anti-social behaviour and petty crime.

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