CONVICTED criminals could soon be helping to spruce up a Worcestershire village.

Powick Parish Council has held discussions with the probation service about getting the offenders to clean up four areas of the village.

The council has suggested that the offenders clean up the stretch of land between Service Road and Main Road, as well as the land that surrounds the Hospital Lane playing fields.

The green stretch of land along the A449 Malvern Road in Powick - known as the bowling green - has also been suggested as a site to clean up. along with the village's church driveway.

Offenders will work for about four hours a day to spruce up the sites. The council will report back to the probation service on the quality of the work.

The Worcester News reported in March how Powick Parish Council was considering allowing offenders to complete community service by cleaning up the village.

Councillor Andy Lamb said: "I met with the probation service three weeks ago and we visited possible sites for the offenders to do their work.

"We suggested one site as the land between Service Road, Main Road and Malvern Road by the A449.

"We also suggested the land that surrounds the Hospital Lane playing fields, and they didn't see any problems with that either.

"There is an issue about toilets, but we are hopeful of sorting something out. The bowling green was also suggested as another site to spruce up, as well as the church driveway.

"The probation service are about to come back with a definite yes or no, and we're hopeful it will happen.

"We'll let some work be done and take a look at the quality of it before we do a report."

The work will involve clearing of litter, planting of new bulbs, and general ground maintenance of the sites.

The purpose of the work is to let offenders complete community punishments by improving local areas.

The offenders will be supervised while they work.