THE director of York BID has called on City of York Council to get its street cleaning machines back into action after a busy weekend left the city centre looking worse for wear.

Andrew Lowson, director at the business improvement district, said the organisation's street cleaning team had been working to make the city centre look its best ahead of the first Bloom! Festival, which starts tomorrow.

The council withdrew its three Nilfisk vehicles in November 2016 after one overturned at the junction linking Tower Street and Skeldergate Bridge, just five months after a similar accident. An investigation was launched.

Mr Lowson said street cleaning is mainly the council's responsibility and is now calling on the council to get its street sweepers back on the road.

He said: “The council has a scrubber washer machine but it has been offline since a year ago. We are asking why it’s not back online yet. We need this council ride-on machine working.

"We have tried to respond as much as we can do. There's a lot of stains on the pavements. Normally the rain would wash spills away."

James Gilchrist, assistant director for transport, highways and environment at the council, said: “We hired in replacement machines and worked with York BID to ensure a street cleaning service could continue to be provided whilst ours were off road.

“Following an investigation, modifications have now been made to our machines and they will be back in operation on York’s streets this month. We’re also looking forward to welcoming additional cleaning machines soon, as agreed at Executive on the 21 June.”