The fortnightly fireworks displays at Matlock Bath Illuminations mark the end of an exhausting season for workers who clean up after major events across the Derbyshire Dales.

In recent months the District Council’s CleanTeam have made villages across the region spick and span for residents and visitors, assisting at 39 well dressings, carnivals, festivals and Britain in Bloom competitions.

The CleanTeam’s efforts are one of the reasons 94% of streets in the Dales are judged as litter-free – one of the best standards in the UK.

The District Council’s street scene works and transport manager Rob Forsyth said: “It is probably not generally known that in addition to cleaning up after major events we actually prepare villages to ensure they look their best. This includes grass cutting and clearing away litter on the eve of the big day.

“Our biggest challenge every year is probably Bakewell Show, which generates around 20 tonnes of waste straw.”

Heidi Finlay, the District Council’s Head of Environmental Services, said: “The CleanTeam works hard all year round to keep the streets clear of litter. They carry out their work quietly, effectively and probably unnoticed in the most part by people attending big events in the Dales such as the Ashbourne Highland Gathering and the Matlock Bath Illuminations. We take great pride in keeping the Dales clean.”

Although the events calendar slows down now the summer is over, the District Council is on duty in Matlock Bath for the popular clifftop fireworks displays. The last two displays of the Illuminations season take place at 9pm on October 11 and 25 and the CleanTeam will be busy again in November clearing up after Remembrance Sunday events across the Dales.

“The Boxing Day raft race in Matlock is the last major event the CleanTeam will be looking after in 2008 - and then the events season starts again in the spring”, added Heidi.

District Council Leader Councillor Lewis Rose, OBE, said: "I know from all the people I meet that clean towns and villages are very important to local people. I am very proud of the hard work of the District Council's CleanTeam in keeping our area one of the cleanest in Britain."

Selston Parish Meeting is just one village that values the clean-up efforts, commenting: “We thank the District Council for the street cleaning work. We are grateful for the attention and a good job done.”