The North East’s largest council has bolstered its road sweeping fleet in order to keep communities clean and tidy.

Durham County Council has taken on three road sweepers that will be deployed in town centres and elsewhere, as part of its work to help communities look their best.

The bigger fleet means that places like Durham City, Chester-le-Street and Bishop Auckland, as well as other towns and villages, can be visited by road sweepers more often.

Cllr Mark Wilkes, the authority’s Cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change, said: “Residents expect our communities to be clean and tidy and we want exactly the same thing.

“That is why we have put additional funding towards increasing capacity in our road sweeping fleet.

“The extra resource will mean less work is required emptying gullies and drains, reducing flood risk and keeping areas looking clean.

“We look forward to these vehicles and our existing fleet ensuring places across County Durham look their best for residents and visitors alike.”