Little Aaron Pool was swept off his feet when his dad fixed it for him to have the ride of a lifetime.

The four-year-old adores mechanical sweepers - and Bradford Council made his dream come true by taking him for a spin in the cab of one of the giant vehicles.

Aaron, who has spinal muscular dystrophy and lives in Buttershaw, Bradford, said: "It was fantastic. I couldn't reach the buttons but it was really good. I liked it when the brushes were working."

He was invited to be guest of honour at the Harris Street depot after his dad Wayne Pool contacted the Council.

"He loves road sweepers so I thought as a treat I would try to get him a ride in one," said Mr Pool, 27, a baker.

"Aaron doesn't just play with toy cars, he plays with toy sweepers and toy dustbin wagons. He's mad about them."

The youngster, who is ill and attends Lister Lane Special School, was driven around the streets of Bradford in an £85,000 Volvo road sweeper. He was thrilled to be in the cab of the eight-ton monster, which holds 500 gallons of water and can suck up six tons of debris from the road in 90 minutes.

Transport controller Eddie Prior, who drove Aaron, said: "His little face lit up. We had the brushes going, the water going and lights flashing and showed him how it tips. It was great to see.

"He looked a bit surprised to start with because it's left hand drive and we sat him in the right hand seat. I think he thought he was going to be driving."

Cleansing officer John Doherty, who fixed it for Aaron, said: "Your own troubles pale into insignificance when you hear about a little lad like him. It's very touching and when his dad rang we wanted to make a gesture."

Mr Pool added: "Aaron has a genetic defect which means his brain does not send signals out to his muscles. He will never walk or develop properly. He is a happy soul, though."

After his trip, Aaron also met Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Peter Lancaster and his wife Sheila.

Staff at the depot presented Aaron with gifts including his own fluorescent jacket, a baseball cap and a Teletubbies doll.

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