Areas of Bristol blighted by flytipping and graffiti are getting a makeover from people sentenced to do community service.

The Probation Service, Bristol City Council's Clean and Green Team and Avon Fire and Rescue Service have joined forces to tackle the problem of litter, graffiti and rubble left around their streets.

Teams of up to eight people who are sentenced to unpaid work orders are cleaning up areas and cutting back overgrown foliage to deter flytippers and arsonists.

Their work also aims to clean up no-go areas where people are afraid to go.

The teams are led by Clean and Green, and are made up of offenders convicted of crimes such as driving, financial and graffiti offences.

"Before we allow anyone to work in the community, offenders undergo a vigorous risk assessment – only those considered to be least risk are able to carry out this work," said Probation Service supervisor Richard Ward.

"We have received positive feedback from people living in the areas where we have been working and the offenders themselves gain a great deal of pride from knowing they are giving back to the community."

Councillor Judith Price, Bristol City Council's Executive Member for Streetscene, said: "At the moment we have only been able to work on projects in the North of the city, but it is hoped that before long it will become a city-wide initiative."

Some of the areas that have benefited from the project are Magdalene Pace in St Werburgh's, the Lawrence Weston Greenway, the Lamplighters Path, Shirehampton, and Brynland Avenue, Bishopston.

The latest area to be targeted was along the Bristol to Pill cycle path which consisted of a full-scale clean that saw the Clean and Green teams litter picking and removing debris along the river bank.