AMERICAN CONS FACE HARD TIME; SICKENED OFFENDER EXPOSES SHAMBLES OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.

THE system of community service for offenders is meant to mirror pioneering US schemes which transformed rundown neighbourhoods.

The British government wants to copy the Red Hook Community Justice Centre in New York.

A court was set up to tackle crimes including drugs, domestic violence and neighbour disputes using a single judge rather than a number of courts hearing different types of cases.

Red Hook judges can sentence offenders to community projects, educational workshops and classes.

They meet regularly with police, prosecutors and members of the community to find out what crimes worry people most.

And they visit the toughest projects in the area to gauge the success of their policies.

A similar court was set up in Liverpool in 2003 in a special pounds 3million building, while Birmingham opened a Red Hook-style justice centre in the deprived Handsworth area last year.

Celebrity offenders such as Naomi Campbell and Boy George have been ordered to do clean-up tasks in the full glare of the public.

Supermodel Campbell, 38, was ordered to sweep the streets in New York after throwing a mobile phone at her housekeeper in 2007.

She was pictured wearing her community service outfit with luminous bib while carrying out the work. Former Culture Club singer George also turned street sweeper after admitting making a false complaint to police in New York in 2006.

Other stars to get the tough US treatment include Winona Ryder who was given 480 hours of community service for shoplifting in 2002 and Robert Downey Jnr who got 100 hours for drug and gun possession in 1996.