TORRIDGE District Council has announced the winning names for its brand-new recycling vehicles, that have joined the Council's Waste and Recycling fleet this Summer.

Over 600 entries were received after the competition closed at the end of June, with residents submitting a wide range of creative and humorous suggestions. Following a difficult, yet entertaining, judging process, involving the Council's Waste and Recycling supervisors and crews, the winning names have been decided. These have been transformed into eye-catching graphics and are now proudly displayed on each of the new vehicles.

The new fleet now features: Bin Diesel, Binspector Gadget, Chitty Chitty Can Can, Dolly Carton, Johnny Trash, Marcus Trashford, Mission: Compostable, Obi Wan Binobi, Recyclesaurus Rex, Sir-Sort-A-Lot and The Bincredible Hulk.

The supervisors and crews thoroughly enjoyed reading through all the entries and ultimately chose names that best reflected waste and recycling, while also capturing the community's sense of humour.

The new vehicles can be seen travelling all over the Torridge district and residents are being invited by the council to spot them.

Councillor Chris Leather, lead member for operational services said: ''I would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in the competition - the Waste & Recycling Team had a tough, but amusing time selecting the winning names due to the outstanding quality and number of entries received. It is great to see that the campaign not only inspired so much creativity but also helped raise awareness of the importance of reducing waste and recycling.''

''I would also like to extend my thanks to our Waste and Recycling crews for their continued dedication and commitment to delivering an excellent service to the Torridge residents. Their hard work and enthusiasm are hugely appreciated, and this competition has been a wonderful way to recognise the invaluable role they play within our community.''