Prisoners restore historic park

Updates of the restoration work are posted on the council website

Inmates from prisons throughout the north-east of England are helping to restore a Victorian park.

The £3.9m Heritage Lottery-funded revamp of the historic South Park, in Darlington, began in 2004.

The prisoners are producing nesting boxes, feeding trays, rabbit hutches and other equipment for the park.

Prisoners from HMP Acklington, in Northumberland, are making 200 foldaway chairs for use at musical events when the new bandstand is open.

Last year, inmates from HMP Frankland, in Durham, helped to furnish the park's Outside In education centre.

It is part of the Restorative Justice programme coordinated by the Inside Out Trust and designed to allow prisoners to make a positive contribution to the community.

Lee Vasey, the council's Cabinet Member for Leisure Services, said: "South Park is one of the jewels in the crown of Darlington and the restoration project is looking superb.

"I am pleased to see that prisoners have once again contributed to the work and I look forward to seeing the end results."