STEVE Barclay MP welcomed Government proposals for tougher community sentences following his work as part of a cross-party committee of MPs.

Mr Barclay is a member of the Public Accounts Committee which recently highlighted failings in the community sentence regime for youth offenders.

As part of the Government’s response to the committee’s findings, and following the recent riots, all offenders will be made to do a full five-day week of hard work.

The work will include manual labour such as improving public areas by clearing up litter, cleaning graffiti and maintaining parks and other green spaces.

Unemployed criminals will be forced to work a minimum of 28 hours over four days, with the fifth day spent looking for full-time employment.

Mr Barclay, MP for NE Cambs, said: “People want to see offenders punished for their crimes as well as giving back to the community. They should be made to work the full five-day week that decent, law-abiding citizens do, rather than idly waste their lives without the self respect that work helps to play a part in fostering.”