OFFENDERS have come to the rescue of a vital community building.

Under the supervision of the Probation Service, those ordered to carry out work under the Community Payback scheme have cleaned up the overgrown grounds of Glyn Wylfa in Chirk.

Members of a trust responsible for the former council offices on the outskirts of the town want to turn the building into a community centre.

Trust chairman Mick Ramsay said that the building had been empty for five years and the grounds had become completely overgrown.

He said: “We need to refurbish the building and we would like to let office accommodation on the first floor and to have a café and tourist information on the ground floor.

“If Wrexham Council accept our business plan they will give us this site at a peppercorn rent.

“First impressions are important. If you bring people round with a view to letting and the place is completely overgrown and looks a mess, it doesn’t create the right impression.”

Project development officer Richard Purton said: “The building and the grounds are in a pretty bad state because they’ve been left alone for the past five years.

“We volunteered to come and help tidy the grounds which will hopefully attract a bit of interest in the project and in turn help to secure funding to make it into a proper community building.

“The members of the team will get something out of it as well – they are learning new skills and their efforts are being appreciated.”