AN AWARD-WINNING short film by a York man will be shown at film festivals across the country, highlighting alternatives to short prison terms.

Bang Up Or Pay Back was written and directed by Dan Wagstaffe, of Heslington, and was designed to promote community payback, something Dan believes in following a personal event.

Dan, 30, said: “I had my bike stolen from my garage about a year ago, and found out the guy who did it was a repeat offender and had been stealing for years.

“He served about six weeks of a three-month sentence, and it got me thinking whether repeat low-level offenders were actually rehabilitated or not.”

Dan wrote a ten-minute film about a convict in a prison cell, then another script about a criminal on community service.

He combined the two and contacted the Ministry of Justice, who invested in the project, with the National Offender Management Service.

Last year, Dan published his first novel, Honey Rich, about a disillusioned footballer, and is currently working on the follow-up, as well as more scripts and screenplays.

Meanwhile, Dan is promoting Bang Up Or Pay Back, which has already won awards at a British short film festival. Dan said: “It’s about to start touring festivals in the UK and abroad and recently appeared at the Third Hitter International Film Festival, and won ‘highly commended’, came third in the public vote, and won third-best soundtrack.

“I just want to highlight that low-risk offenders need a higher standard of sentencing, and doing time outside and productively could be the answer.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said community payback schemes were a viable alternative to short term prison sentences.

He said: “Very short prison sentences can lead to problems with employment, housing and family relationships which are key to stopping people re-offending.

“We should use and create alternative penalties that punish offenders. Community sentences which support rehabilitation will divert offenders from the revolving door of endless short prison sentences.

“This is why we are committed to a full assessment of sentencing and rehabilitation policy.”

Bang Up Or Pay Back