The 26-tonne vehicles all feature the Elite 6x2 mid-steer chassis with Olympus 23m3 bodies and Terberg OmniDEKA electric bin lifts.

‘These new trucks mean we now have 26 front line Dennis Eagle RCVs and eight back-up trucks at Ards and North Down, all fitted with Terberg lifts,’ said Alan Haire, the director of the Belfast-based dealer Manvik Plant & Hire Ltd who supplied the vehicles.

‘This latest order was an easy choice for the council to make. The vehicles have already proven themselves to the council to be very efficient and very reliable. In addition to that, the drivers, crews and engineers are already very familiar with them, which obviously helps.’

Mr Haire emphasised how popular the cabs were with customers.

‘The low-entry cab is particularly popular with everyone. It’s both safer and easier to get in and out – which, of course, the crews are doing all day long, so they love it. But it also means fewer injuries from slips and falls, fewer people off work and less unbudgeted cost for operators to cover – so they love it too,' he said.

Since July 2021, Manvik has delivered Dennis Eagle vehicles to Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon BC, Belfast CC, Derry City & Strabane DC, Fermanagh & Omagh DC, Mid Ulster DC and more will be delivered to Belfast CC and Causeway Coast & Glens BC in the near future.

‘During the pandemic lockdowns, orders dried up,’ Mr Haire said.

‘But while we knew they’d pick up again, once everyone returned to their routines, nobody expected the boom to be as sustained as this. We’ve supplied around 50 trucks in the last 12 months – nearly double what we’ve sold before – and there’s no sign of it letting up.’