Restorative justice process sees Failsworth 10-year-olds pledge to become young ambassadors for Metrolink

Date published: 03 October 2018


Five youngsters who threw stones at trams have heard first-hand about the impact their actions have had on Metrolink staff and customers.

The children, all 10 and from Failsworth, were joined by relatives for a session at the Queen’s Road depot.

During the meeting – which was also attended by police – two drivers whose vehicles were damaged explained the impact the incident had on them and their passengers.

The children – who apologised to police and Metrolink staff for their actions – were also shown pictures of the damage that was caused and warned that further incidents could result in a charge and appearance at a youth court.

As part of the restorative justice (RJ) process they have pledged to become young ambassadors for Metrolink and will also undertake some cleaning and gardening activities at the depot at a later date.

Graham Lord Jones, Operational Security Manager at KeolisAmey Metrolink, said: “The children and their families were really engaged with this session; staff explained the impact this incident had on them and our customers and were warned that further instances of stone-throwing or antisocial behaviour would have serious consequences.

“This is the first time Metrolink has been involved in the restorative justice process and the children and their families were all clearly receptive to the warning and apologised to our staff and police.”

Chief Inspector Colette Rose, said: “Restorative justice enables children and young people to understand the consequences of their actions and prevents them from unnecessarily entering the criminal justice system.

“I’m pleased to hear the use of restorative justice has been successful on this occasion and the children have apologised for their actions.

"Hearing first-hand from the drivers affected by the stone throwing is something which I am sure will stay with the children for a long time, as well as deterring them from becoming involved in any similar incidents.”

Chris Thorpe, TfGM’s TravelSafe lead, said: “This is a good example of how we are working together as a partnership to raise awareness amongst children of the dangers and consequences associated with carrying out criminal and antisocial behaviour on our transport networks.

“Alongside our preventative youth engagement programme, the Restorative Justice process can be extremely effective under the right circumstances, as this case has demonstrated.”

The TravelSafe Partnership exists to keep public transport safe across Greater Manchester by offering reassurance to passengers and preventing and dealing with incidents of crime, antisocial behaviour and fare evasion.

The TSP operates an extensive youth education programme, which includes visits to school and youth groups to educate and inform on the effects of antisocial behaviour on victims.

Throughout June this year, officers attended a series of Crucial Crew events across Oldham allowing them to engage with over 2,000 youths aged 10 and 11.

The scheme is led by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) with support from contributing operators KeolisAmey Metrolink, Stagecoach and First Manchester.

Under the TSP, a dedicated team of Police Constables (PCs), Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), Special Constables (SCs) and TravelSafe Officers (TSOs) provide regular patrols on the region’s networks.


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