A GWENT man has turned his back on a life of crime and is now helping his local community.

Neil Mason of Pontypool had been in and out of prison for most of his life for offences such as burglary and car theft until he become involved with a local residents' group.

The 44-year-old, from The Woodlands, Penygarn, who has recently learnt to read and write, has become the chairman of The Woodland Field Residents' Group.

He says he now wants to help poor local children who have nothing to do but get into trouble as he did as a youngster.

"We've been forgotten," said Mr Mason, whose story will feature on Wales This Week tonight.

"We just haven't been looked at for 30 years. There's nothing for the kids to do and there are a lot of kids - I think in about 60 houses there are about 150 kids. Because there's nothing to do in the community at all they generally do misbehave. I don't think they know any better."

Last year Mr Mason and the residents' group obtained £13,000 worth of funding from Communities First, Torfaen county borough council and Barclays Bank to develop an adventure playground for children.

Car thieves used the land for dumping burned out vehicles until the facility was built.

Unfortunately the playground is now closed and the Woodlands Field Residents Group wants to attract more funding to rectify the mistakes. They also want to build an adult learning centre and develop more play areas nearby.

Last week Mr Mason was visited by Torfaen MP Paul Murphy who congratulated him and the residents' group on their achievements.

"I think that it is a tremendous project," said Mr Murphy. "What's very impressive about it is that the initiative has come from local people. This place has been transformed over the years because of people like Neil Mason."

Wales This Week is shown on ITV Wales on at 11pm