THE Mayor of Worcester has been getting to grips with the latest machinery that will keep the city’s streets looking spick and span.

In a boost to this year’s Take Pride campaign, Worcester City Council unveiled the aquazura, a system which simultaneously achieves wetting, soaping, scrubbing, recovery and the recycling of waste water, outside the Guildhall on Wednesday.

It will supplement the council’s pressure washers and street sweepers and be put to good use during a packed summer schedule, which includes the homecoming and freedom parade by soldiers from the Mercian Regiment on Wednesday, June 27, and the Queen’s visit on Wednesday, July 11.

Mayor Councillor Roger Berry, who was on hand to use one of the pressure washers, said: “This year is a particularly exceptional year in the life of Worcester. This machine will be added to the armoury that the council has to ensure the city centre is at its best.

“This is the city council taking its part in the Take Pride campaign and I hope citizens will also play their part in making sure that bins are used rather than council staff having to clean up.”

David Sutton, the city council’s service manager for cleaner and greener, welcomed the addition, which would be used by the street care and cleansing teams on their daily rounds.

He said: “We are delighted to have this extra bit of equipment that gives us extra cleansing ability as we have quite a summer ahead of us in Worcester.

“We will be working very hard to make sure the city is at its best. We have teams out from 5am sweeping and they do a great job making sure the city is clean before it is open for business.”

The campaign is run by the city council in conjunction with your Worcester News.