County Durham litter picker gets birthday surprise from council's road sweeping team

Credit Durham Council
During the visit Mrs Robson was allowed to see how the vehicle operates and be taken on a short drive. Credit: Durham County Council

A County Durham woman with a passion for keeping her area clean and tidy was given a surprised by the county council's road sweeping team.

Amanda Robson from Consett regularly litter picks in her community, supporting Durham County Council's civic pride team from the Denes to Medomsley Village.

She even created a Facebook group to discuss environmental and social issues. In doing so she has seen the the number of people interacting with the group and helping in the local area increase.

Mrs Robson even got the chance to have a ride in her favourite vehicle. Credit: Durham County Council

Her husband Chris contacted Durham County Council’s clean and green team as he wanted to give his wife, who has autism, a unique present for her 51st birthday.

Having heard about Mrs Robson's work and her fascination for road sweepers, the clean and green team arranged for one of its Scarab sweepers, Amanda’s favourite vehicle, to be taken to her street.

During the visit she was able to see how the vehicle operates and be taken on a short drive.

Mr Robson said: “Amanda has a deep love for street sweeper vehicles such as the Scarab, so I wanted to make this a special and unforgettable experience for her. She was extremelyexcited and overjoyed that this could happen.

“Amanda voluntarily cleans up litter and has been doing an excellent job in helping keepthe area clean. I believe this experience has not only been memorable for her, but a greatreward for her hard work and dedication.”

Speaking after the experience Mrs Robson said she will continue to pick litter up in her area and hopes to get others involved too.

She said: “If I’ve inspired just one person to adopt their area and take care of it then my birthday wish, to ride on the street scarab, was the best birthday wish I could ask for.”

Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, Councillor Mark Wilkes added: “When we heard about Amanda’s interest in street sweepers, as well as the hard work she puts in for her community, we were delighted to make this happen for her.

“It was great to see Amanda truly enjoy the experience and help Cris gift this experience tohis wife.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...