Offenders maintain club for disabled anglers

Offenders convicted of low-level crimes have been helping maintain a fishery as part of unpaid work.

Moorside Fisheries in Abbey Hulton has been a benefactor of the government's Community Payback scheme for the past 15 years, with work focusing on keeping the site wheelchair accessible for disabled anglers.

Set up by the Ministry of Justice, the scheme's supervisors go out with a team of eight offenders to complete general maintenance. There is a need for more supervisors across the country.

David Rushton, who has been a volunteer for 13 years after giving up his spare time on another project, said: "The lads get a lot out of what they do up here as they can see something at the end of it."

The work involves mowing lawns, clearing litter, laying slabs and repairing platforms that enable wheelchair users to fish from.

Rushton finds that most of those who come to him to complete there unpaid work prefer this as an option to going to jail, but does admit the job can be "tasking" due to "characters" amongst the group.

"Some of them have never done any manual work and you show them how to lay a slab or use a lawn mower," he said.

He does find the job rewarding though, often getting a handshake from the offenders once work is completed and being told: "if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to do it".

The work means the fishery is able to operate normally, as a lot of the members that use it are disabled and unable to carry out work.

Paul Gerrard, secretary and trustee of Stoke-on-Trent Disabled Anglers' Association, said the nature of the club lends itself to needing support from outside sources.

He understands that some of the members might not like the fact that offenders are on site.

"It doesn't suit everybody, due to the nature of the people and why they are here," he said.

"However, we always say to members you know when they come, so you can steer clear if that's not your cup of tea."

The work is completed at no cost to the club, but the trustee said it helps members realise "at the end of the day, we can't do without them".

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.