Offenders give back 15,000 hours to community

More than 15,000 hours of unpaid work will be carried out on the Isle of Man this year by people who've broken the law. 

Offenders will take part in a range of projects which will go some way to payback their bad behaviour whilst benefitting the Manx community. 

Work includes restoring heritage sites, constructing off-road cycle paths, clearing overgrown land and tidying up woodlands and beaches: 

Community Service Orders are handed down to people as an alternative to prison - offenders must carry out the work in their own time.

MLC Mike Coleman has responsibility for the Prison and Probation Service - he says it's not a soft option: