A COUNCIL worker is celebrating 25 years of keeping a borough clean

Jim Aspden, 46, from Accrington, started his job as a refuse collector in 1993 where he started with the team on the bin round in Fern Gore and Accrington.

It was a post he held for10 years before becoming a driver team leader in 2003, after self-funding and successfully completing his HGV training.

Jim was just 21 when he started his career with the council back in the early 90s, and over his quarter of a century, Jim has travelled over 225,000 miles, the equivalent of nine times around the world, collecting at least the weight of two double decker buses worth of waste and recycling every day!

Jim said: “It really doesn’t seem 25 years since I started at the council.

“Back in 1993 recycling wasn’t done on a big scale and we collected rubbish in both metal bins and ash bins.

“Also the way we operate the system has changed so much over the years with the growth of technology, back in 1993 we used paper job tickets whereas nowadays we have iPads in the cab.

“What hasn’t changed though is the camaraderie; I’ve always worked with a great bunch of lads.”

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson said; “I’d like to say a big thank you to Jim for all his sterling work over the years.

“We’re really proud of the work he’s done for Hyndburn over the last quarter of a century; he’s a great employee, part of a brilliant team.”

Jim’s always been interested in music and in his younger days was a keen guitarist, playing with his Indie Rock band ‘the Water Monkeys’, at venues around the North West in the early 90s.

In his leisure time, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, wife Anne and three grown up children- Jessica 26, Courtney 23 and Tyler 19.