TEENAGERS responsible for damaging a businessman’s cabins have been making amends.

The six teenagers were caught out by police after graffitting their names on portable cabins at Latchford Locks.

Damage at the cabins owned included broken doors, a smashed sink and graffiti.

The vandalism was caused during a weekend in December.

PCSOs Tom Reid and Tony Spruce, based at Warrington South Neighbourhood Policing Unit, spoke to Mr Wilding and they agreed restorative justice would be the best outcome for the teenagers, who had never been in trouble before.

Restorative justice focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders. It can involve victims explaining to offenders how the crime made them feel and amends being made.

The PCSOs arranged for a meeting to be held between the youths, their parents, the victim, a school representative and police.

They then arranged and supervised the youths carrying out work to correct the damage caused.

Sir Thomas Boteler High School in School Road, Latchford, where the six teenagers attend, held the meeting earlier this month.

PC Richard Whitehead, from Warrington South Neighbourhood Policing Unit, said: “The owner told the pupils how their actions had impacted him and the repair work needed to be carried out.

“Some of the children were embarrassed about what they did and they enjoyed that they could go back down there and help repair the damage. The parents took their kids down to do the work at Latchford Locks. The meeting allowed parents to see what their kids were up to when they weren’t supervised. The owner was happy with what decision was made as they had never been in trouble before and it gave them the opportunity to pay something back.”

The five boys and one girl are due to return to the site and paint the cabins.