"Get them filling potholes too": Your reaction to youth offenders keeping Lancashire’s roads clear

Minor routes in Lancashire could be treated by volunteers, while gritting wagons stick to the main road

Teams of volunteer snow wardens could be set up across Lancashire in order to keep the county’s more minor routes passable during the worst of the winter weather - and they might be helped by young offenders.

The proposal, which is unlikely to take effect until winter 2019/20, could see youth offenders spreading grit on the roads and clearing snow as part of their community payback.

The idea was one of a series of recommendations made by a task group of councillors exploring how Lancashire’s secondary routes can be kept safe when hit by severe weather events like last year’s so-called “Beast from the East”.

Youth offenders could be deployed to keep Lancashire's roads clear in winter

We asked for your opinions and here are a selection of your views from our Facebook page.

Will not happen, too many do-gooders. And end up costing more than it’s worth. Health and safety will step in and will require all the clothing plus training.

Brian Jackson

They tried this in Accrington where it really snows bad and some do-gooder had it stopped on heath and safety just in case one of them hurt themselves.

Gill Howard

Agree on this. A bit of hard labour won’t do them any harm.

Mark Knowles

Is that not degrading for the hard-working, honest employees already doing that job?

Steve Rostron

It happens in the USA. Hard labour not a cushy cell.

Ken P Richardson