PATIENTS, prisoners and a 32-strong group of Army chefs have all rolled up their sleeves to help keep a Winchester hospital site safe.

The Royal Hampshire County Hospital’s car parks and pavements have been kept free from snow by a willing band of volunteers.

Two inmates from Winchester Prison have worked with staff to shovel snow and spread grit and salt. The work was undertaken only after close liaison between managers at Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust and the prison governor David Ward.

Chief Operating Officer, Maggie Oldham said: “I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure to have such hard working and willing volunteers on site. They have taken on a cold and unpleasant job but have kept smiling all day.”

Jeremy Warren, 31, (who has 4-and-a-half-months left of the custodial 18 months of a three year sentence) said: “I’ve had a great day. It’s been really good to have a chance to put something back into the community.”

The other inmate, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s been great to do something useful and to be busy, we’ve been treated with respect and enjoyed the work.”

Corporal Jody Francis was also on site today (Weds) with chefs from the Defence Food Services School, based at Worthy Down.

The privates under her command were clearing the main multi-storey car park and other car parks on the site. She said: “The Army likes to help out the local community. When the snow got heavier we were asked for ideas about places or organisations where we would be useful and many of us immediately suggested the hospital.”

It wasn’t just groups of people who were willing to lend a hand. Peter Miller, who came for an Xray arrived with so much time to spare that he asked for a shovel and set about clearing the Queen’s Road car park. He started ‘work’ just after 10am, stopped for his Xray at 11.30 and then carried on again until 3pm.

Mr Miller, who is on a three-day break from his job as a freight train driver, said: “I just thought I’d like to help. I’d only have been sat there watching people do the work, so I thought I’d offer.”

Trust chief executive Martin Wakeley, said: “I am used to staff going over and above the call of duty in times like this but to have support from the community too has been fantastic. We have only been able to repay our helpers with cups of tea and a few hot meals but our thanks are fulsome indeed.”