YOUNG offenders who have been helping to clear undergrowth churchyard have won praise from the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Allan Willett.

Visiting the project in Chilham, he said they were putting their community service sentences to positive use.

“When I was chairman of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), one of my consistent themes was the importance of persuading disaffected young people to come into the real world. They have a lot of energy and talent and this project highlights how that can be channelled in the right direction for the good of the community.”

The Community Payback scheme is supervised by Kent Probation Service. The Chilham churchyard clearance task was suggested by Kent County Council community warden Vince McMahon.

The clearance teams have been at work there since June. First World War graves have been revealed by the clearance work, as have sections of the North Downs Way which runs through the cemetery.