George to sing for NYC cleaners

Boy George said he had "quite enjoyed" his community service

Two years on from his street cleaning stint in New York, British singer Boy George is to give a free concert for the US city's sanitation department.

The former Culture Club front man will perform a selection of his hits for the department's family day on 17 August.

The star spent a week in August 2006 doing community service after pleading guilty to falsely reporting a burglary.

"The people I worked alongside showed great kindness to me at a difficult time," he said in a statement.

"I wanted to thank them all in a way that would show my appreciation."

'Generous offer'

"Keeping New York City safe and clean is a daunting challenge as Boy George well knows," said Michael A Bimonte, the department's first deputy commissioner.

"We welcome his generous offer to entertain those who have made our city the cleanest it has been in more than 30 years."

Born George O'Dowd in 1961, Boy George is best known for such Culture Club hits as Do You Really Want to Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon.

The singer, who turns 47 on Saturday, begins a North American tour in Aspen, Colorado on 10 July.