A STUDENT was today put in the stocks in High Wycombe High Street as part of an experiment to test public attitudes to humiliating forms of punishment.

Richard Barter, 19, had his legs locked into wooden shackles in full public view.

His fellow students hung signs branding him a repeated shoplifter above his head, and uniformed police community support officers kept a watchful eye on the scene.

Passers by were then questioned about whether the punishment was appropriate.

In reality Richard had committed no crime – but to keep conditions realistic respondents were told he was a shoplifter. Only after they had answered were they told it was a ruse.

The scheme was the idea of criminology student Della Harrison, 25, and criminology and sociology student Ben Redman, 21.

Della said: “I wanted to find out what the public would think about bringing back public forms of punishment.

“Would this deter our young offenders? How do they feel about current forms of punishment and do they believe in naming and shaming criminals?”

The scene beneath the Little Market House drew crowds. One passer by was so struck by Richard's predicament that they gave him a chocolate bar.

Lionel Cox, a lecturer in criminology at Buckinghamshire New University, said: “Most people now look back on the punishment of former days, public executions and so on, with horror.

“So what will people think in the future about the way we treat the prison population today?

“People in prison today have often done terrible things, but is this the best punishment for them? That is one of the questions we would like to answer.”

Carol Dean, 64, from Chesham, said: “It took me aback and I had to stop and think, 'Is that for real?'”

Trevor Neves, 19, said: “I think the experiment is a good idea but I don't think the punishment is going to be effective.

“He gets harassed by sitting there, but a homeless person sitting on the street gets harassed just as much.”

However David Gray, 66, thought it would be an effective deterrent.

“They definitely ought to bring the stocks back to Wycombe,” he said.

The community support officers were off duty and had volunteered their time to the project.