Dave Hewison has kept his town’s streets, parks and alleys clean for the past nine years, winning awards for going beyond the call of duty. Andy Walker caught up with him.

IN a tidy little room, near an immaculate car park, close to a pristine public toilet, behind a battery of wheelie bins, sits possibly the UK’s most well-respected cleaner.

Dave Hewison, who patrols the streets of Bedale, North Yorkshire, on behalf of the local authority, has won plaudits from his bosses, local residents and community leaders for his non-stop hard work.

The 59-year-old was even presented with the Queen’s Birthday Medal in recognition of his devotion to duty.

He has also helped to raise thousands of pounds for good causes through various charitable efforts.

As well as sweeping, cleaning and tidying, Mr Hewison has another key role, one which often goes unnoticed – supervising offenders given community payback punishments in the area.

He said: “You sometimes get a bit of attitude from them, but it soon dawns on them that it will pass a lot quicker for them if they do what is asked.”

His working day starts when most people are still enjoying their beauty sleep – at 5am most days, sometimes earlier.

Mr Hewison, unmissable in his fluorescent orange overalls, has been a familiar sight around Bedale since taking the job with Hambleton District Council’s street scene department in 2001. Teamwork has been the key to his role as the town’s “Mr Fix-it”, he said, and added: “It is so important that we all work together – myself, the town council, the chamber of trade, the district council and the police.

“When we work as a team, things get done.

“People know me, they know I am approachable and if a problem arises – graffiti in the churchyard or a problem with the toilets, whatever – they know where to turn.”

Mr Hewison, who was born and bred in Bedale, said: “When I first started, it was terrible for drinking and litter – there was always rubbish all over the place.

“It took a good six months to get it sorted out, but we eventually got on top of it.”

Since those early days, he has made a virtue of cleaning up Bedale, so much so that he was recently presented with an oil painting by the town council in recognition of his sterling service to the town.

Retirement will soon loom on the horizon for Mr Hewison, who said he did not know what he would do with himself once he left this job.

Model boat building is a passion, as is helping the various good causes he supports.

But he is not quite thinking about that just yet: “Hopefully, fingers crossed, I have got a good few more years’ work left in me.”