THE GREENEST rubbish truck ever seen in Britain was launched in Westminster this week.

The diesel-electric hybrid vehicle will be tested over a two-year pilot scheme by Westminster Council and its waste management contractor Veolia.

The truck - given the registration plate LC02 LOW - has the potential to deliver huge fuel and cost savings, and a major reduction in carbon emissions.

The trial in the Marylebone and Lisson Grove areas of the borough, which launched on Tuesday, will identify exactly what savings can be made.

A similar vehicle already operating in Sweden has shown savings of about 30 per cent on fuel and carbon emissions, compared to standard diesel-powered vehicles.

Jean-Dominique Mallet, chief executive officer of Veolia, said: "We see the benefits for residents as being twofold - firstly, the environ-mental benefits in terms of carbon emissions and secondly, the reduction in noise pollution.

"We hope the relative silence is golden."

Westminster Council's cabinet member for city management, Councillor Danny Chalkley, added: "This is the greenest bin lorry in the country and we're proud that we're the first city in Britain to take it up.

"We want clean streets, clean air and a clean environment, and this trial recognises the potential that hybridfuelled vehicles will play in the future and demonstrates our commitment to improving the environment."

The vehicle is driven by 'parallel hybrid technology', with energy sources from a diesel engine and an electric motor which can be used either separately or together.