April 27, 2001 15:05: PRIME Minister Tony Blair arrived on a Sydenham estate to find out how young convicted criminals are playing their part in coming clean.

The Premier's visit to Home Park, in Bell Green, preceded his keynote speech when he announced payback time for yob offenders.

Mr Blair's speech in Croydon set out how young people will be made to make amends for vandalism, graffiti and similar anti-social crime.

He also announced controversial plans to reward offenders with vouchers for clothes, music, travel and computers when they take part in community renewal projects.

The Prime Minister's unpublicised visit to Sydenham came a week after Lewisham Council launched its own assault on "enviro-criminals" in the borough.

It includes a name-and-shame campaign, greater powers to clamp and remove untaxed vehicles and a service for cleaning graffiti from buildings which face the streets. Mr Blair's tour of Home Park showed him how some young offenders are paying for their crimes.

He was given a demonstration of graffiti removal by an 18-year-old young offender, who chose the clean-up work for his reparation order.

The orders are given out at court for frequent offenders at the final warning stage or as part of a supervision order.

Lewisham's youth offending team manager, Brendan Finegan said: "This helps them understand their actions have consequences to their victims and the community."

Lewisham has three projects helping young people complete their orders, including car and motorcycle reconditioning where profits go to victims' nominated charities

Mr Blair also met trainees from the New Deal Task Force who are building a play area and community garden on the estate and are not connected to the young offenders' scheme.