A GARDEN project to keep ex-offenders on the straight and narrow is literally yielding fruit in Worcester.

The rehabilitation project, the first of its kind in Worcestershire, began last December at an undisclosed location in the city as West Mercia Police and partners try a new way to break the cycle of crime.

The scheme itself involves four ex-offenders at a time living together in a semi-detached house in the city, working with volunteers to restore an overgrown garden.

The overgrown garden has already been revamped over seven weeks thanks to former prisoners in the house, provided to West Mercia Police's Integrated Offender Management (IOM) team for the project.

Work involved cutting back encroaching weeds, building a bench and introducing new plants in the hope that it will occupy the offenders, give them a renewed sense of purpose, teach them new skills, provide them with stability in their sometimes chaotic lives and prevent them returning to a life of crime.

The house in Worcester provides a home to offenders who would find it almost impossible to seek accommodation in the community, providing a 'stable base' where rehabilitation can begin and giving them the chance of a new start.

The ex-offenders have been convicted of mainly acquisitive crime, including burglaries, and have been working with the YSS on the project.

DI Stuart Murphy said: "Integrated Offender Management is all about the police working with partners which includes the probation service, the community rehabilitation company CRC, Swanswell and housing providers.

"It is about working together to keep those prolific offenders from reoffending. It's to give them a sense of purpose and and some pride in their own home, working together to stop this revolving door of offending - prison, out in the community followed by offending.

"We are doing all we can to break this cycle, support them and signpost them in the right direction."

The aim is then to move the ex-offenders into a more permanent home once they complete the project.

Those who take part have to be nominated by the IOM who have 63 offenders on the books, 30 of whom are in prison.

DI Murphy hopes the project can continue and the activities can be diversified in future.

The scheme has been well-supported by local businesses who have donated plants, including Nikki Hollier, owner of Styling Home and Gardens who gave 15 plants after reading an appeal by the IOM on Twitter.