I’m washing my town’s gum-riddled streets in my spare time
I’m washing my town’s gum-riddled streets in my spare time – and residents say I’ve transformed the place
A man has been dubbed a hometown hero after ridding his local neighbourhood of dirty pavements.
Andrew Carr, 32, from Alnwick, Northumberland, regularly takes to his local streets to pressure wash filthy pavements in his spare time.
The window cleaner went the extra mile after becoming fed up with the paths and cobbles being covered in chewing gum and dog poo.
His powerful pressure washer has since uncovered decades of dirt hidden under patterned pavement slabs.
In a selfless act, he contacted the local council and offered to spruce up the rest of the historic town and they agreed.
Andrew Carr (pictured), 32, from Alnwick, Northumberland, regularly takes to his local streets to pressure wash dog poo off pavements
He said: ‘I was cleaning windows and gutters and just looked down and was really disappointed at the state of the pavements.
‘I looked further up the high street and every paving slab was covered in chewing gum and there was dog mess. It was a sad sight.
‘Right there and then I set myself a goal of cleaning the centre of town up. I thought to myself that everyone complains about dog mess and chewing gum but no one does anything about it.’
Andrew, who owns ABC Cleaning Services, explained that the idea sprang to him on a random Sunday, and that he now proudly keeps up the project every Sunday morning.
He said: ‘I started one Sunday and just started pressure washing every paving slab. After I’d finished I was really pleased with the results.
‘I contacted the town council and said I wanted to clean the paths up and they were delighted. The pavements looked like new.’
He now wants to tackle the pavements around the edges of town, including the bus station and nearby residential streets.
UK bus operator Arriva have given him permission to clean up their local station – which Andrew is excited about cleaning next.
The window cleaner went the extra mile after becoming fed up with the paths and cobbles being covered in chewing gum
Andrew shared his idea with the local council – he offered to spruce up the rest of the historic town and they agreed
The kind act has transformed Andrew into an online sensation, as TikTok videos of his work have attracted thousands of followers from around the world.
Local residents have also hailed Andrew ‘a hero’ for his selfless work. One said: ‘It really has lifted the spirits of people living here.
‘From grey and miserable pavements, we now have something like you see in most modern European cities.
‘It’s lovely to hear people, especially visitors, commenting on how clean the centre of town looks.’
The kind act has transformed Andrew into an online sensation, as TikTok videos of his work (pictured) have attracted thousands of followers
Life-long resident Angela Davies, 60, said: ‘I’ve lived here my entire life and I never knew the paving slabs had patterns before they were washed.
‘It may seem a small thing to be excited about but the clean pavements have transformed the place.’
Councillor Gordon Castle added: ‘Andrew came to me offering this service to the town and after clearing it through the town and county council we are delighted to accept his generous offer.
‘The work clearing chewing gum is very time consuming but the results are a revelation. On behalf of the town, I thank him for his public-spirited work.’
