Crime in and around Feltham Arenas has fallen significantly over the past year and a half thanks to ex offenders.

The once run-down park has been transformed into a safe, more friendly and tidy area thanks to the work of former prisoners employed by Blue Sky.

The most recent clean up was completed last month after six ex-offenders spent months carrying out maintenance work including cutting back hedges on the huge site.

Since August 2012, police have recorded a fall in offences, a majority relating to drug dealing, drug use, theft and anti social behaviour in the area.

The Chronicle asked repeatedly for specific figures so we could show the actual percentage drop of each crime and the overall amount but these were never provided to us.

Steve Finn, teams director at Blue Sky Development & Regeneration, said: “The Feltham park project was a great success we employed six ex-offenders from the local community to carry out the works and you just need to visit the park to see what an outstanding job they have done.

"We are really pleased that it has helped to reduce re-offending in the area because that always been Blue Sky’s overall mission."

The clean up project is a team effort between Hounslow police, led by acting police sergeant Anne Sanders, with the council, and Blue Sky.

Since work first began at Feltham Arenas it has involved cutting back overgrown trees and bushes to open up the area and to fix lighting along the footpath to reduce crime and make turn it into safer grounds so families in the community make more use the site.

MP for Feltham and Heston Seema Malhotra said: “The reduction in crime around Feltham Arenas is welcomed by the whole community and local residents have previously called for better maintenance and cleaning of the site to improve the safety of the area.

"The council deserves credit for the steps it has now taken but more must be done.

"We now need to stay focused on a new future for Feltham Arenas that local residents can be proud of.”

Feltham Arenas was once the stomping grounds of Olympic athlete Mo Farah who has supported the campaign to restore the sporting ground back to their former glory.