People visiting York city centre in the evenings may have noticed street cleaning activity taking place much later than before.

Thanks to a new trial launched by City of York Council, cleaning and litter picking is now taking place until 9pm in the evening. The move follows a recent review of the council's Streetscene services, which investigated more effective ways of working.

Director of Neighbourhood Services, Terry Collins, said: "It's important for the city's evening economy that the place looks spic and span. The aim of this trial is to ensure that the city centre looks just as good in the evenings as it does during the day."

The success of the trial will be evaluated during the coming weeks, but it is likely that it could become a permanent arrangement.

The street cleaning team will also be making use of a new machine that enables them to collect cigarette butts more quickly and effectively, which is particulartly timely given the introduction of the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces next month.