OFFENDERS sentenced to do community work are set to spruce up Okehampton Argyle Football Club, as part of their probation services.

Work on the club has involved tidying up and painting around the clubhouse and cutting and strimming the surrounds to the football pitch.

Treasurer of Okehampton Argyle Football Club, Jim Burdus, said having the work done has been a great help to the club.

He said: 'The offenders have done a really good job so far and it is much appreciated by the club.

'This is necessary ongoing work which volunteer members of the club always have difficulty finding the time to do.

'I would certainly recommend this arrangement to other community organisations who might find themselves in a similar situation where there is always so much to do and little help to do it.

'We hope that we can continue this relationship for some time to come.'

There are currently two probation supervisors who live in Okehampton and work with people undertaking community service probation work.

Unpaid work manager for Exeter and North East Devon, Sam Dan, said: 'We were delighted to be able to help.

'The main purpose of unpaid work is to punish offenders, while helping them turn their lives around and give something back to communities.

'The number of hours an offender has to do is between 40 and 300 over a year, depending on what the court has sentenced them to do.'