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A SCHEME in which offenders remove graffiti from the walls of subways and other public places in Durham and Chester-le-Street has been extended. The project, run by the County Durham Probation Service, sees convicts sentenced to Unpaid Work Community Orders scrubbing, re-coating and repainting the walls and clearing the surrounding areas Funding from Cdent (County Durham Environmentall Trust) under the Governments' Landfill Tax Credit scheme enables the Probation Service to buy a gel to remove the graffiti. The project began as a three-year trial but thanks to its success, it has now been extended on an ongoing basis. Over the past five years, about 5,500 offenders have been involved in the scheme, working for 30,000 hours, which amounts to £150,000 worth of labour. "The everyday street scene is an important part of the environment for us all and this project is making a significant impact".
