DENBIGHSHIRE County Council has become the first of its kind in Wales to be awarded a grant from the Energy Saving Trust to make its fleet cleaner.

Grants of almost £250,000 have been given and it has already pledged to adapt 73 vehicles, including mini-buses and dust carts, with clean diesel particulate filters.

Denbighshire is hoping other councils will follow its lead.

Richard Tarboton, head of the Energy Savings Trust TransportEnergy, said: ‘This initiative serves as a great example to other local authorities, particularly those with air quality management areas, which have been identified as needing critical attention to help bring their air quality to acceptable levels of reduced pollution.’