A group of six teenage boys from Westbury spent their Saturday morning fixing the damage they caused to a pub fence.

The group of young boys were spotted by a resident damaging the fence around the Horse and Groom, Alfred Street, Westbury, in January.

Neighbourhood policing officers were in the area and on their arrival found six boys matching the descriptions given by the caller still at the location.

The owners of the pub Leigh and Jayne Pickering were contacted and after discussions with them, the boys and their parents, it was decided to deal with the crime by making the boys mend the damage themselves.

The boys met PCSO Matt Stewart and Mr Pickering and together worked to repair the fence.

PCSO Stewart, of the Westbury neighbourhood policing team, said: ‘We worked together with the children’s parents to bring about a resolution which would encourage them to take responsibility for their actions and put right the damage they had caused.

“They showed maturity in their willingness to make amends and we are positive that they will consider the consequences of their behaviour in the future.”

Mr Pickering said he had preferred to come to an agreement with the youths and their parents rather than press charges.

He said: “These youngsters made a mistake and I’m pleased that they were able to make amends rather than go through formal procedures which could possibly affect their future employment.

“They were good kids, very polite and did a good job of fixing my fence.”

District and town councillor Georgie Denison-Pender said she is pleased to see youths setting a good example in the community.

She said: “This is a great example of how committed our neighbourhood policing team are at working with the young people and the community to resolve issues and help prevent similar problems in the future.”