By Hayley Robinson

Offenders on Community Payback have been helping clear ice and snow for pathways.

The team of six offenders who are supervised by Kent Probation, were due to pick up litter in the Sittingbourne area as part of their punishment but due to the recent bout of cold weather Swale Borough Council asked if they could help clear a number of public areas affected by the heavy snowfall instead.

Donning their orange high visibility jackets, the offenders removed snow and put down grit provided by the council so the public could safely access the facilities and car parks at Swallows Leisure Centre and Sittingbourne Library.

Rita Hockley, Community Payback operations manager from Kent Probation, said: "This is a great example of Kent Probation working closely with the council to carry out work that benefits the public and responds to the changing weather conditions being experienced across most of Kent."

Charlotte Hudson, community safety manager for Swale Community Safety Partnership, said: "This is what the Community Safety Partnership is all about, individual agencies working together to address the real issues that affect the community.

"When the turn in the weather meant that this team could be better utilised gritting pavements, to enable our residents to carry on their daily activities unhindered, the Partnership relationship between Swale Borough Council, Kent Police and Kent Probation meant that this decision could be made quickly, to react to the change in conditions and indeed the immediate emerging priorities."

Annually offenders supervised by Kent Probation perform nearly 275,000 hours of Community Payback at any one time across the county, helping save communities over £1.5m annually in unpaid labour.

It is a tough and visible punishment of offenders and is one of 12 requirements of a Community Order –an alternative sentence to prison.