Say hello to Islington’s newest local celebrity. She is shiny, green in spirit, quiet on the streets and proudly named Sweeping Beauty. Her name was chosen by six-year-old Adele from Thornhill Primary School. Adele entered a borough wide naming competition supported by her sister Aylin. Their idea beat more than 130 suggestions from 16 schools and went on to win a public vote with more than 240 residents taking part.

Sweeping Beauty is not just charming. She is one of three brand new fully electric street sweepers designed specifically for the borough. Together they will help cut diesel use by more than 7,000 litres each year. This switch is expected to save around £6,000 in fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions by 20 tonnes annually. That amount of energy is roughly the equivalent needed to power 15 homes for a full year.

The new sweepers were created in partnership with Bucher Municipal. They are the first of their kind for Islington and are designed to be quieter and far less polluting than traditional diesel models. Keep an eye out around the borough. You may spot Sweeping Beauty gliding along the streets keeping everything tidy while bringing a bit of fairy tale fun to everyday life