A council is using it's fleet of bin wagons to hammer home the most important message of the coronavirus pandemic.

Richmondshire District Council's nine bin trucks have been emblazoned with the national NHS slogan Stay Home Save Lives. The district council took up the chance to promote the message to residents through the vehicles after Roadvert’s Spedian system which works with the authority to display advertising on wagons approached them. Spedian is working in partnership with Public Health England to get the message out.

It offered two free panels but the district council decided to have them fitted on all trucks, so paid for the remaining seven.

"These vehicles are going to every part of Richmondshire every week so it’s a great way of promoting this message," said Corporate Director, Colin Dales.

"We have some very remote areas which might not be getting as much information as people living in our towns and this is a good way of reaching them. It’s also a vital message, stay home, save lives and protect the NHS."

The district council is maintaining fortnightly collections of household waste and recycling through the pandemic with operators adhering to social distancing and householders are asked to make sure it is all contained in their boxes, bags and bins as extra waste will not be taken.