a clean sweep - meet the man who makes the city shine

December is one of the busiest times of the year for Stuart MacDonald and his team of 31 staff.
From the moment the Christmas lights were switched on in the city centre, the team have been working extended hours to keep the city as free from litter as possible.
The team works 364 days a year, only having Christmas Day off - as they work to pick up discarded waste, such as food wrappers, drinks cans and cigarette butts.
On average, each person in Hull drops the equivalent of two-thirds of a wheeled bin of litter on the streets each year.
And cleaning it up is a job that never ends for the team, who are based at Pearson Street, off Ferensway, behind the former LA's nightclub.
They use green pedestrian and yellow mini sweepers, which have become a familiar sight on Hull's streets.
"We alter our shifts to work until 9pm – that's two hours later than normal – so we can cover late-night shopping," says Stuart.
"Christmas is a busy time for us. The extended opening hours for the shops brings more people into town, and more people means more litter.
"The annual festive lights switch-on alone attracts 15,000 people on one night, and the litter they leave behind has to be cleared. So we have to be flexible, and ready for the challenge.
On a normal working day, Stuart and his team will together cover a total of 20 square miles a day, including the Marina and Victoria Dock, as well as other areas, including Spring Bank, Witham, Hessle Road, Anlaby Road, and Beverley Road as far as Hall Road.
"We like to blitz an area - there's a lot of satisfaction in the work, as we can see a job well done when a street or open space has been cleaned. I'm a great believer that litter attracts litter, so for that reason we look for a rapid response, and tackle litter hot spots as soon as we find them."
The team also gets rid of fly-posting and graffiti from walls, and collects fallen leaves, which are then taken to allotments across the city to be used as mulch and compost.
A hand-gritting service on roads and footpaths is also provided, from October to April, to ensure they are kept free of ice.
Drinks cans are separated from other rubbish at the depot and sent for recycling.
The team also cleans up after every football and rugby game at the KC Stadium, and sweeps up after Hull City Council events, such as the Sea Fever sea shanty festival and Hull Fair.
"Hull Fair is a mammoth task. We collect around two tonnes of litter in and around Walton Street every day for the whole period of the fair.
"For this job, and for all the others throughout the year, my team do excellent work. They are full of enthusiasm, and have a great sense of willingness and responsibility.
"That's how we make the difference."