Criminals are to be set to work fixing potholes as part of their community sentence under a pioneering scheme.
Thousands of offenders will repair roads across the South West, one of the worst affected regions for potholes.
A pilot scheme set up by a group of five Conservative police and crime commissioners in the South West will provide training for criminals before they carry out the work, which will be overseen by the Probation Service.
It will be the first time in the UK that repairing roads will form part of a criminal sentence.
The programme is expected to start in October and has already won the backing of Justice Secretary Alex Chalk. If successful, it could be rolled out across the country.
Potholes cost drivers about £500million in vehicle repairs last year
Thousands of offenders will repair roads across the South West, one of the worst affected regions for potholes
A pilot scheme set up by a group of five Conservative police and crime commissioners in the South West will provide training for criminals before they carry out the work
Potholes cost drivers about £500million in vehicle repairs last year.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, came up with the idea to tackle the appalling roads in her area after spearheading a separate project in which prisoners build homes for the homeless.
Last March, the Chancellor agreed to give the region an additional £9.3million for pothole repairs after lobbying, but Ms Hernandez says this is still not enough.
Devon County Council already has a scheme where volunteers are trained to repair minor holes. But Ms Hernandez hopes criminals could do the unpaid work.
Speaking exclusively to the Mail, which has campaigned for an end to the pothole plague, she said: ‘There is a huge problem with potholes in this area.
‘Devon and Cornwall has the largest road network in England, with 13,500 miles of roads. That’s one of the challenges, it is a rural network.’
She added: ‘Why not classify pothole repair as unpaid work suitable for a community sentence?
‘This is a great way of delivering visible justice, a way for people to see payback happening in their communities.’
Police and crime commissioners in Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire are involved in the plan.
Justice Secretary Mr Chalk said: ‘For some time now, I have been working with probation to make community service for offenders more responsive and more relevant to the needs of our communities.’
