TINSIDE Lido is getting a post-summer facelift — thanks to Plymouth people who have been convicted of crimes.

Work has already started on sprucing up the outdoor pool in one of a number of projects across the region administered by the Probation Trust.

Offenders will be carrying out hundreds of hours of unpaid work repainting fixtures and fittings and restoring railings, shutters and steps.

Every year in Devon and Cornwall convicted criminals are sentenced to carry out 200,000 hours of unpaid work.

The Zone centre in Ernesettle has already received a similar facelift thanks to those who have been handed a community sentence.

Richard Wakley, who manages unpaid work projects in the city, said: "The group has already upgraded paintwork around Tinside Pool.

"Now the focus is on improving other areas on either side of the pool.

"Railings, shutters and some of the steps surrounding the pool are all being painted and work will progress to the west side over the coming months."

Tinside is getting spruced up following a request from the Plymouth Safer Communities Partnership.

Mr Wakley said an agreement had been drawn up between the Probation Trust and Plymouth City Council's parks department.

"The work has come about because Plymouth Community Safety Partnership was very pleased with previous work to tidy up the area done by offenders on probation," he added.

"It will help brighten up an area which the local community would like to see improved."

Assistant chief probation officer Jon Nason, who is in overall charge of unpaid work in Devon and Cornwall, added: "These kinds of projects provide an excellent opportunity for people sentenced to unpaid work to do something positive as payback to their local community.

"Offenders are punished and the work they do helps to rehabilitate them so that they are less likely to reoffend, which is great news for local communities."

Anyone can suggest a community project they would like to see done by offenders by logging on to www.dcpt.co.uk