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'My festive uniform is about making people smile'

Tom Jackson/BBC Close up of Lenny Edward's face. He has a white beard, black thin framed glasses and is stood at a recycling centre in front of bin lorries. On his head is a baseball cap covered in gold tinsel with the words Merry Christmas sticking up from the top of his hat in red glittery writing. Over his high visibility orange uniform he has pink, white, purple, green and gold tinsel.Tom Jackson/BBC
"I try to add more [decoration] each year but it's only going to get heavier," said Mr Edward

A festive bin collector has been making people smile by continuing his annual tradition of covering his uniform in Christmas decorations.

Lenny Edward, who works for the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service, has been impressing people with his outfits for almost a decade.

Each year he attempted to add more to the outfit and showed off several knitted characters as well as bells and a customised bike with snowmen attached.

Mr Edward said one resident, who came out to take a photo of him, thanked him for brightening her day after her mum had recently died.

Tom Jackson/BBC Lenny Edward stood in front of a bin lorry with a bike. He has decorated his bike with three white snowmen in red Santa hats. They are sat on top of his handlebars. Tom Jackson/BBC
The festive outfits are risk assessed before they are taken to the streets

Mr Edward said he loved the reactions his Christmas displays elicited, adding his home was almost as well decorated as him.

"I have been doing this for about 10 years now and I love doing it, the smiles of people and the reaction, it's just amazing.

"It started with just the hat, then I added more, then the coat. People really enjoying it so I just carried on adding more, including bells and characters.

"My son is disabled, and he loves the lights... when I get home, he loves it and even puts it on sometimes to walk around the garden in, it's brilliant."

While at work Mr Edward said a woman came out of her house to take a photo of him, but seemed quite upset.

"She said her mum had died the day before but seeing us had put a smile on her face," he said.

"It must have been hard, but it gave her a smile and that's what I do, that's what its about."

Tom Jackson/BBC Lenny Edward legs are covered in tinsel. There are knitted elves attached to the tinsel on his uniform which look as though they are climbing up his legs. Tom Jackson/BBC
Mr Edward said the decorations helped keep him warm while he was working

Lead cabinet member for environmental services, Natalie Warren-Green, said: "It's great to see Lenny embracing the spirit of the festive season by dressing up on his rounds.

"This time of year can be really challenging for residents with more waste then usual generated, so seeing a festive character is uplifting for anyone who's not sure about what waste goes into which bins and if their bin days have changed over Christmas and New Year."

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