May 19, 1978

Home Secretary Mr Merlyn Rees paid a surprise unannounced visit to the Redditch area last week.

Mr Rees spent two hours talking to staff and inmates at Hewell Grange borstal at Tardebigge.

Mr Rees said he had come to see the "neighbourhood borstal" experiment taking place at Hewell.

This involves the borstal taking its inmates from a smaller catchment areas than other borstals.

This means closer links can be kept up with families, police and the probation service.