A driver team leader has been thanked after clocking up 25 years at Hyndburn council.

Jim Aspden, from Accrington, has travelled the equivalent of nine times around the world - 225,000 miles - during his career, collecting at least the weight of two double decker buses worth of waste and recycling every day.

The father-of-three started work as a refuse collector in 1993 at the age of 21 and held the role for 10 years. He then became a driver team leader in 2003 after self-funding and successfully completing his HGV training.

Jim, 46, said: “It really doesn’t seem 25 years since I started at the council. Back in 1993 recycling wasn’t done on a big scale and we collected rubbish in both metal bins and ash bins.

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Also the way we operate the system has changed so much over the years with the growth of technology. Back in 1993 we used paper job tickets whereas nowadays we have iPads in the cab. What hasn’t changed though is the camaraderie; I’ve always worked with a great bunch of lads.”

Council leader Miles Parkinson said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to Jim for all his sterling work over the years. We’re really proud of the work he’s done for Hyndburn over the last quarter of a century. He’s a great employee, part of a brilliant team.”