The Arrochar and Tarbet Community Council and Community Development Trust highlighted the work of the community service which is run in conjunction with the criminal justice system.

Scottish courts are given the power to sentence relevant offenders of certain crimes to undertake between 40 and 300 hours of unpaid work, which is aimed at giving something back to the local community.

Mary Haggarty, secretary of local communtiy council, said: “There has been a lot of praise given from the community on not only the amount of work completed but the efficient manner in which it was conducted.” The team refurbished local amenities, painted community buildings, and performed basic landscaping takes.

The untidy area between the Three Villages Hall and the Community Pit Stop Café was cleared, slabs were laid between the two community owned buildings and a fence was erected to the back of the slabbed area.

The team repaired boards of the community café and painted the building before giving the boarding round the door of the hall a lick of paint.

They also refurbished two pavement benches opposite the village hall, and cleaned the foot access path from the A83 to Succoth.

Ms Haggarty added: “The supervisors on the job were polite yet firm with the labour squad they were working with. It was evident that they were guiding and encouraging any of the team involved to learn what they could from the opportunity they had been given.

“Hopefully a few of them will have taken an interest in the variety of tasks they had to perform from gardening and groundwork to paving, fencing and painting. A faultless outcome was left here with the community of Arrochar and Tarbet.

“This is a fantastic way for the concept of pay back being put to good use instead of the tax payers having to fund jail sentences for minor crimes.” Materials for the work at the Village Campus were paid for by the Village Hall, Argyll and Bute Council provided the wood for the benches, and there was no cost for labour.