CONVICTED criminals could be set to "give something back" to the community and make crime-hit communities safer - by fitting new alleygates across York.

The Probation Service is said to be the latest organisation to give its backing to City of York Council's new alleygating scheme.

Some alleyways between properties are thought to increase the risk of crime.

Now criminals on punishment orders with the service could be set to spend some of their community service fitting the gates across the alleys in the three target areas of The Groves, South Bank and Clifton.

Council alleygating officer Steve Bushby said: "The Probation Service are prepared to take on the fitting and maintenance and repairs of the gates. They are very keen to be involved with this.

"This means this will be done by people on community punishment orders, so it won't be costing the council anything.

"But it also means they will be putting something back into the community, by helping people who are living in high crime areas."

Ann Reid, the council's executive member for transport, last week announced that the service was "very keen" to become involved in the project.

She said that negotiations were also taking place with PACY - the partnership between the council, the Arc Light project for the homeless and an offenders' association - to involve the agencies in the gates' maintenance.

Officers are currently consulting with residents over the closure of four alleys in The Groves, one in South Bank, one in Holgate as part of a target-hardening scheme, one in Acomb, and two school footpaths in Clifton.

These will be funded out of £40,000 from ward committees and Safer York Partnership.

But there are around a further 300 closures being considered by the council for the three main designated areas.

Mr Bushby said: "Once our first gate is finally fitted and all the final details are ironed out, I think the process will become much smoother and we will be able to look at tackling the rest of these closures far quicker.

"I also hope that if we get the impact they have had in other areas, with a reduction of crime of 60 or 70 per cent, then people will be really eager to take them up."

Updated: 10:34 Tuesday, August 03, 2004