PUPILS have cleaned up in a competition to name a new road sweeper.  

Stroud District Council asked pupils from the Rosary Primary School to help come up with a name. 

Together with their teacher Miss Pollard, year three students spent time to brainstorm a number of potential names. 

Eventually the children named the road sweeper Tidy Tim in honour of their newly adopted class toy leopard - who has the same name. A close second name was Electric Gleams. 

Both former leader of Stroud District Council Cllr Doina Cornell and chair of the environment committee Cllr Chloe Turner said they found it hard to narrow the options down. 

Ms Cornell said: “We had some strong entries and Electric Gleams was a close second but we felt Tidy Tim summed up exactly what this vehicle will achieve.”

Ms Turner said the new vehicle has already been a welcome sight on our roads. 

She said: “We already have eight council owned EVs and five hybrids in our fleet.  

“We are constantly trying to find new ways of reducing our carbon footprint and working with Ubico to expand our extended fleet is a very simple win.” 

Tidy Tim is being run by council’s service provider Ubico. 

Head of fleet operations for Ubico, Ian Bourton said: “The vehicle and its driver are both being well received on their rounds. 

“This is an exciting time for Ubico and we are committed to reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere and improving the local air quality for our residents.”

Stroud District Council has goals to protect the environment and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

The new electric road sweeper will save the council more than eight tonnes of carbon per year which is the equivalent of nearly 30 flights from Heathrow to Malaga.