EIGHTIES star Boy George donned a fluorescent jacket, gloves and shades today as he began five days of community service with New York's sanitation department for wasting police time.

But the singer's stint sweeping the streets of Manhattan was over within half an hour, after he was mobbed by media as he tried to brush leaves and put litter in bins.

By 7.50am the musician - real name George O'Dowd - and his two fellow workers had been returned to the sanitation department's garage, where he worked instead in the car park, behind a fence but still in full view.

Angry

Earlier he unleashed a barrage of angry rants at reporters, at one point sweeping a pile of leaves angrily towards cameras.

"This is supposed to be community service," he said at one point.

"You're just making it a nightmare which just means it's for the media and not for me."

Asked if he thought his punishment was unfair, he replied: "It's not unfair. It's just impractical having you f****** chasing me around.

"F*** off. Go away."

Convoy

O'Dowd also told reporters asking whether he was troubled by the menial nature of his task: "My mum was a cleaner, my dad was a builder, know what I mean?"

After a convoy of at least 10 cars chased the sanitation department van around the cramped streets of Chinatown, O'Dowd was returned to the safety of the depot.

Sanitation department deputy chief Albert Durrell said he had taken the singer off the streets because he was concerned for everyone's safety.

Sweeping

Instead, he said, the former Culture Club front man would spend the rest of his eight hour shift and possibly the rest of the week working at the garage.

"He'll be hand sweeping the area along the fence," Mr Durrell said.

He added that there was always work to be done inside the building as well, mopping and cleaning up baskets and other things.

IS this kind of public service the right way to punish a famous person? Have your say.

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