Harrogate Borough Council has unveiled its latest weapon in the fight to keep the district’s streets clean.
It is an £18,000 waste vacuum cleaner, which sucks up litter up through a flexible nozzle and then collects it in bags at the back of the machine.
The contraption also has an on-board pressure washer to remove any stubborn stains.
The council said in a statement the machine is much quicker than manual litter picking and “especially effective at picking up small items of litter such as cigarette butts and disposable takeaway cups”.
The 100 per cent electric machine has a 10-hour battery life and will be rotated around towns in the Harrogate district.
Councillor Andrew Paraskos, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:
“Sadly, some people think it is completely acceptable to just discard litter on the street. Which is why we, and an army of volunteers, work tirelessly to ensure our town centres and villages look their best for locals and visitors alike.
“The addition of the street cleaning machine will make this task even easier and I know it will make the task of clearing litter that bit easier for our dedicated team.”
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