Sheerness High Street has received a summer makeover with new hanging baskets and flower boxes.

The floral displays were donated by Cllr Ken Pugh from his Kent County Council highways and community chest funds.

Along with a donation towards the repainting of the clock tower, the work totalled £2,500.

It was carried out by the Sheerness Enhancement Association for Leisure (SEAL) and inmates from Standford Hill prison.

Two inmates will be based in the High Street for five hours a day, from Monday to Saturday, to water the flowers and help maintain the displays.

SEAL chairman Brian Spoor says the prisoners are saving Swale council “about £500 a week” and that all those involved with the scheme “couldn’t do it without them”.

He added: “We’re getting a terrific response from the public, they all really love it.”

Cllr Pugh, also a Swale councillor, said: “People ask ‘why do you bother?’ but you’ve got to keep trying because eventually people will see that the High Street and Sheerness is a nice and clean place to come to for tourists.

“The hope is that people will walk along the High Street and think ‘this is nice we’ll come back’ and that will help the traders.”