It is going to cost them a few pennies, but Witham town councillors are sure they have found the perfect solution to cleaning up the town's streets.

An order has been placed for a £30,000 automatic street cleaner which, it is hoped, will put an end to the town's rubbish problems.

The ride-on machine will be able to reach speeds of up to 25mph, making it a lot more effective than the previous hand-cart the town had.

It also has a pressure washer which will clean as well as sweep the roads.

Councillor Tom Hewitt said the new machine would have an increased capacity to handle the litter that builds up around the town.

He said: "Because it can get around the town quicker, it will help us keep other areas of Witham cleaner than we do at the moment.

"It will also allow us to increase the frequency of cleaning."

He said the cost of the machine was a worthwhile investment as it would make a big difference to the town.

Mr Hewitt added: "It is one of those issues people complain about quite a lot so we looked at various approaches to the problem. This looked like the only way to do it properly."

Two weeks ago volunteers collected more than 52 bags of rubbish in a clear-up operation organised by the Witham in Bloom Committee. In recent months there has also been public outcry over litter building up along the town's River Walk.

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