THE Lord Mayor of York rolled up her sleeves and pitched in alongside convicted criminals on a community payback scheme.

Coun Sue Galloway joined offenders who have been handed community punishment sentences, painting over graffiti at the York to Selby cycle path this week.

Across York, offenders on the community payback scheme have been involved in a whole range of projects, with the current focus being on cycle paths in the city in partnership with Sustrans.

Pete Brown, chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust, said: “The day went very well. The area we were looking at, under the bridge on the cycle track, was identified by the Lord Mayor as somewhere that needed tidying up.

“We ask members of the public to nominate projects for us in the community where work needs doing so that the offenders who are doing the work can do something that the community wants to see done.”

Mr Brown said other payback schemes they have worked on included cleaning up graffiti in York city centre, clearing churchyards and work with Dunnington in Bloom.

Coun Galloway said: “Residents of York want to know that offenders in York are being made to pay back for their crimes. Payback schemes make this a reality and very importantly give local communities a say in what criminals must actually do to make amends for their crimes.”

Last year offenders in York and Selby carried out more than 45,000 hours under the community payback scheme.