A team of volunteers that leapt into action when lockdown began has been thanked for completing hundreds of acts of service.

Workington Community Emergency Response Group was set up and put out a rallying call for volunteers in March when many people were forced to stay at home to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Volunteer street wardens distributed their contact details to homes across the town so people would have someone to contact if they needed help with essentials such as shopping or someone to talk to.

And since then the volunteers have completed more than 300 shopping trips as well as walking dogs, collecting prescriptions, posting letters and picking up newspapers.

The group offered a mobile cash machine service, enabling people in isolation to access money, and many volunteers provided someone for residents to talk to on the phone to combat loneliness.

Their efforts earned them a special recognition award from the High Sheriff of Cumbria in June.

But now, with the recommended shielding period at an end and people able to get out and about more freely, the group's volunteers have been told to stand down.

The group was led by Tony Wareing, Hughie Stamper and Paul Scott.

In a statement, they said: "We cannot thank our volunteer street wardens enough for the support they have provided to the local community.

"We recognise that some volunteers may still wish to continue to support some of their residents and this would be admirable but it would be on a purely informal, friendly basis.

"Should there be a recurrence of lockdown conditions or a different emergency situation we will recommence service straight away."

The group received funding from the Rotary Club of Workington, whose president Alan Barry praised the volunteers.

He said: "All the work that they have done has been fantastic. It's helped many people get their tablets, get their shopping and be able to speak to somebody. It's been well received and well appreciated.

"I can only give praise to all the people who have worked on the coronavirus response and all the volunteers who have stepped up to the mark. It's something we hope we don't have to do again but if we do we now have a template."

Support is still available for people who need it from Cumbria County Council.