Payback time for offenders / Sunderland today, 2 Aug 2006

http://digbig.com/4mfgb
"A teenager is painting the walls of a department store he was caught stealing from just weeks ago. Tired and exhausted, he has spent the past two days redecorating a corridor of Debenhams at The Bridges, Sunderland. It is all part of a unique payback scheme where victims get to choose the punishment handed down to their young offenders. The teenager, who can't be named for legal reasons, said: "It's been quite hard work. I know now I don't want to get into this kind of trouble again." So far, teens taking part have been asked to clean graffiti from walls they vandalised, clean the floor of a supermarket they stole from and, even redecorate their family home at the request of their parents."