Married waste workers retire after three decades

A pair of council waste workers who got married after "locking eyes over a three-tonne pile of asbestos" have retired after a joint total of more than 60 years of public service.

Linda and Alan Boyer found love at Ribble Valley Borough Council in Lancashire and got married in 2013.

During their employment, Mrs Boyer has overseen the authority's biggest increase in recycling while her husband's team has collected more than 2,000 tonnes of litter.

The pair, who live in in Great Harwood, first met after being called out to a fly-tipping site at Four Lane Ends in Clitheroe.

The couple are now calling it a day after 34 and 28 years of "exemplary public service" respectively.

"It might not sound romantic, but we locked eyes over a three-tonne pile of asbestos and hit it off straight away," waste management officer Mrs Boyer said.

"Alan is extremely funny and soon had me laughing out loud. We discovered that we had loads in common."

She started working for the council in 1991 as an environmental health technician, before being promoted to waste management officer in 2017.

Mr Boyer joined the council in 1997 as amenity cleansing supervisor, before being promoted to amenity cleansing and grounds maintenance manager in 2003.

He said: "When I started in this job, there was litter everywhere, but people are more conscious of the environment now and generally tidier, and most take their litter home.

"Although fly-tipping remains a serious problem and we have had to deal with some terrible tips over the years, everything from aggregate to asbestos, seeing how much tidier the streets now look never fails to give me a sense of pride and achievement."

Mrs Boyer said: "Alan and I have worked with some fantastic council colleagues over the years, who we will miss and keep in touch with, but it is time to stop working and start living, and we can't wait to start this next chapter of our lives together."

The couple plan to walk, get fit, travel and undertake some voluntary work during their retirement.

The council's chief executive Marshal Scott said: "Officers with this level of knowledge, experience and dedication, are becoming increasingly rare.

"They know their jobs inside out and back to front and we wish them the very best in their retirement."

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