Almost 7,000 litres of water will be flushed through parts of the city centre as part of a programme to cleanse the streets of Hull.

Disinfectant will also be sprayed on shop fronts and street furniture in Queen Victoria Square and Jameson Street.

It forms part of Hull City Council’s plans to encourage people to continue following public health advice and social distancing guidelines as the lockdown begins to ease.

Councillor Anita Harrison, portfolio holder for Streetscene, said: “We are taking steps to prepare the city centre for a staggered reopening to the public following Government guidelines.

“By cleaning popular areas we are aiming to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and reassuring residents that the council is taking the appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the public.”

The cleaning trials will take place between 5am–7am on Thursday 14 May.

A total of eight staff will be on-site operating the machinery whilst observing social distancing rules.

Councillor Harrison said: “We began cleaning and disinfecting street furniture in Trinity Lane last week and washed the street down using gully machines.

“A lot of water is used during the cleaning process, which is why we are taking the opportunity to do this whilst the shops are closed and footfall is low.”

Popular cycling routes will also be cleaned and upgraded to encourage residents to use this mode of transport.

The cleaning programme will eventually be rolled out across all arterial routes and to the 52 shopping developments across the city.