A VENUE between Ludlow and Tenbury can have a part to play in an initiative to reduce reoffending and give people a new start.

Bill Longmore, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, says that the Bluestone Centre at Bleathwood can play a part in the initiative but there are strings attached.

The centre is run by Paddy Brennan, founder of the Tenbury Boxing Club.

It is hoped that the centre can offer more vocational based education and training for young people that have been excluded from school.

The Police and Crime Commissioner has allocated initial funding to the Centre, believed to be £25,000.

He has spent £6 million on various project over the past three years but says that the way that the money is spent has to be accounted for.

Bill Longmore told the Advertiser that the money for the Bluestone Centre comes with string which include the need that some of it is spent on trainers.

“This money is not just about buildings and there will have to be transparency and accountability as to how it is spent.”

Bill Longmore says that he regards initiatives to help with rehabilitation of offenders and keep vulnerable people out of trouble are a key part of his legacy.

The 77-year-old former police officer steps down from the role in May. He was elected as an Independent Police and Crime Commissioner in November 2011.

He wants places like Bluestone to play a part in offering alternative learning for young people for whom traditional schooling has not worked.

Otherwise he says that vulnerable young people could be pulled towards a life of crime.

The Police and Crime Commissioner said that while many single parents do a wonderful job the erosion of the traditional family has been a factor in some of the problems.

“A strong make mentor is very important especially for boys and in my experience a boy who spends a lot of time with his dad will benefit.”