Subject to section 240(1) of this Act, the work required to be performed under a community service order shall be performed during the period of 12 months beginning with the date of the order; but, unless revoked, the order shall remain in force until the offender has worked under it for the number of hours specified in it.

The instructions given by the local authority officer under this section shall, so far as practicable, be such as to avoid any conflict with the offender’s religious beliefs and any interference with the times, if any, at which he normally works F2(or carries out voluntary work) or attends a school or other educational establishment.

If at any time while a community service order is in force in respect of any offender it appears to the appropriate court, on F3the basis of a report made to it by the local authority officer, that that offender has failed to comply with any of the requirements of subsections (1) to (3) above (including any failure satisfactorily to perform the work which he has been instructed to do), that court may issue a warrant for the arrest of that offender, or may, if it thinks fit, instead of issuing a warrant in the first instance issue a citation requiring that offender to appear before that court at such time as may be specified in the citation.

A copy of a report made under subsection (4) above shall be served on the offender in such manner as may be prescribed by Act of Adjournal; and a written execution purporting to be signed by the person who served the copy, together with, where appropriate, a receipt issued by the postal operator shall be sufficient evidence of service of the copy.

The unified citation provisions apply in relation to a citation under this section as they apply in relation to a citation under section 216(3)(a) of this Act.

The evidence of one witness shall, for the purposes of subsection (5) above, be sufficient evidence.