Community Service is definitely not what it used to be, at one time it was about litter picking, removing graffiti and the like and making areas a better place to live in.

But more than that it was about saying “Sorry” for breaking the law.

Today apparently it is more about sitting at home and “knitting hats and scarves” for refugees.

The pandemic changed the way of life for everyone and criminals were allowed to perform their community service orders whilst staying inside. This was all well and good but despite Covid restrictions being lifted nearly a year ago more than a quarter of a million hours of these orders have been completed by convicts in the past 12 months.

Surely now there is no reason for criminals to be allowed to work behind closed doors as I am sure there is always an abundance of community tasks available.

If you are convicted of breaking the laws of the land then you should be expected to pay your debt to society and not be sat at home knitting as knitting for most people is a fun pastime not a punishment.

Now that Covid restrictions are no more this ludicrous arrangement must stop and stop sooner rather than later.

Kit Malthouse the Minister for Policing said this was “worthwhile work” but went on to say we will be conducting a review of independent working projects in the summer with a view to maybe phasing out the “working from home” regime later this year.

So if anyone is in need of a nice hat and scarf set place your orders now please.

Mrs L M Jackson