SOLDIERS armed themselves with paintbrushes as they embarked on a mission to spruce up a charity’s offices.

The George Street base of Age Concern Colchester is looking brighter after troops from the town’s Military Corrective Training Centre were deployed to give the building a much-needed makeover.

The team of three soldiers under sentence devoted the whole of this week to the project.

MCTC staff member Sergeant Mark Nichol said he was always looking for worthy schemes for his charges to help out with.

He added: “This project, and all the others we have been involved with, is all about putting something back into the community.”