Dedication to his job has earned him the nickname Mr City Centre but Bradford's longest-serving dustman will next week make his final clean sweep.

Ronnie Rubery was a teenager when he started work with the Bradford City Cleansing Department as a binman in 1962 - the same year that Marilyn Monroe died and the Rolling Stones formed.

He started on the flats wagon, which involved cleaning up rubbish from the high rise flats in Allerton and Thorpe Edge, was on the Holme Wood round and spent eight years on the refuse round serving Buttershaw, working from the depot at Thorncliffe Grange.

He has also turned his hand to other duties, including gully work, skip wagons, gritting the roads through the winter nights, and operating the bulldozer at the tip.

But for the last quarter of a century, Ronnie, 57, has done the Town Round - clearing up rubbish from the city centre six days a week with his colleagues Nick Brophy, Tony Horrocks, pictured with him and principal cleaning officer John Turner.

Senior cleansing officer for trade refuse, Ian Quigley said he will be sorry to see him go.

"Ronnie will be irreplaceable. He is Mr City Centre for Bradford Council. He covers the BD1 area. That is the key area in the city," he said.

"He's been on the Town Round for so long that he has seen some real changes in the city centre over the past 25 years.

"Ronnie will be sadly missed by the council and by customers. We can't possibly replace him but if we find a new employee half as good as Ronnie that'll be great."

Ronnie said street cleaning technology had changed enormously during his working life.

"I think that the streets are certainly clearer than they used to be. We really do our best to keep the streets clean," he said.

"Nowadays we get the sweepers in every night to clean. There is definitely better technology today. When I started everything was cleaned with a brush and a shovel."

"I have enjoyed every year at the firm. I have now worked for almost 40 years which is the maximum service anyone can work. As far as I know I am the longest serving employee."

He said he is looking forward to his retirement which he hopes to spend visiting the caravan he has at Beverley and seeing lots of his family.

"I'm going to enjoy myself and have lots of holidays as I've often worked over the bank holidays whenever they've come around."

"I have two daughters Joanne and Kirsty and a granddaughter called Rachel. I want to spend more time with my daughters, granddaughters and wife."