The 'barrowmen' will not return to the streets of Kenilworth despite the fact that neighbours Leamington Spa have had theirs reinstated.

Warwick District Council announced last March that barrow operatives would no longer be needed as idverde UK took over the local street cleaning contracts.

The decision was met by criticism in Kenilworth with over 1,100 people signing a petition to protect the job of the town's popular barrowman Saji Mathew.

All the operatives in the district were offered new roles in the new town centre cleaning crews.

However, at last night's overview and scrutiny committee meeting it was revealed that idverde will go back back on its original plans and put a barrow operative back into Leamington, but not Kenilworth.

Operational development manager Zoe Court said: "idverde have decided to put the barrowman back in Leamington town centre, at no cost to the council.

"If you remember back in 2021 when the contract was awarded, we took the barrowmen out because of the additional costs, but idverde have recognised that it works better in Leamington because of the shear footfall."

When asked by Cllr Andrew Milton whether Kenilworth's barrowman would be returning, Ms Court said: "No.

"Kenilworth is very clean and tidy, so you don't need the barrowman, you don't have the issue that Leamington does have.

"So the answer is no."

Cllr Milton replied: "I sort of knew that was the answer but I am very encouraged to hear that we are clean and tidy people in Kenilworth."

WDC recently approved new charges for green bin collections as part of its new three-weekly waste management scheme.