Some Huntingdonshire residents may have seen pink last week when they put their rubbish out and noticed a new refuse worker – Sweep, the black cat. For one week only, the district council had a temporary addition to its fleet – a refuse lorry sporting col

Some Huntingdonshire residents may have seen pink last week when they put their rubbish out and noticed a new refuse worker - Sweep, the black cat.

For one week only, the district council had a temporary addition to its fleet - a refuse lorry sporting colours in support of Cancer Research UK's breast cancer campaign.

The pink truck replaced one of the council's regular yellow refuse lorries off the road for its MOT test. The pink 'un belongs to a company called Fiveways Hire, a family-run business, whose lives have been touched by cancer.

In support of Cancer Research UK's campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer, the truck is available to clients nationwide in its pink livery for the whole of this year, with the hire fees donated to the charity.

On the day the truck was launched, Sweep, a black kitten, was found inside a cardboard box by a team who were clearing waste from the roadside. They called the cat Sweep Bush because they were changing the bushes on the sweeper when they found him. They took him back to the depot whre staff decided to adopt him, clubbing together to meet the cost of his health care, board and lodgings and a scratching post.

Sweep has started work with rodent control. Robert Ward, head of operations, said: "Like all employees, Sweep has been given a performance target. His key performance areas are catching small flies and chasing bugs and anything else that looks interesting. He will be working up to catching larger prey by the time of his first appraisal.