Convicted criminals to restore seafront benches

Convicted criminals will soon begin restoring 11 "cucumber" benches on an East Sussex seafront.

The benches in Hove have been battered by harsh sea conditions but will be "returned to their former glory", Brighton & Hove City Council said.

Offenders will sand down and paint the benches while local merchants are supplying the materials, meaning there is no cost to the taxpayer.

The council said involving people from the Community Payback scheme provided a "visible and tangible way for offenders to contribute to their community".

The scheme is a court-ordered punishment where offenders work in the community under the supervision of probation officers instead of being sent to prison.

They will work alongside the council's highways contractor, RJ Dance, to repair the double-sided benches.

Councillor Birgit Miller, cabinet member for culture, heritage and tourism, said: "Maintaining our seafront comes with many challenges, not least the scale of the task at hand.

"Our teams are responsible for 13km (8.07 miles) of seafront, including 6km (3.7 miles) of railings, 18 shelters and 19 cucumber benches.

"This is a creative solution to the challenges around seafront maintenance and I'm really looking forward to seeing the benches back to their best.

"We're hoping to work with more businesses and recruit further volunteers as the scheme progresses."

Work on the benches is due to begin later in July.

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