This 1959 electric milk float is turning heads as it trundles around a Sussex village.

The vintage vehicle, which has a top speed of 25mph and can travel 50 miles for £1, is doing the rounds in Piddinghoe for a trial kerbside recycling service.

It is the only door-to-door household waste recycling service in Lewes district and was launched by the charity Furniture Now! at the request of the local parish council.

If the trial is successful, the charity hopes to bid for a contract from the district council to run a similar service throughout the district.

Furniture Now! hopes the recycling scheme will also strengthen the argument against the need for an incinerator at nearby Newhaven and improve Lewes Council's recycling record.

The district council has set itself the target of increasing recycling by 50 per cent by 2015. It currently achieves nine per cent.

The council gave a small grant to help buy plastic collection boxes for the 100 households in Piddinghoe and the free service is run on a voluntary basis.

The adapted milk float does the rounds fortnightly and collects glass, paper, plastics and tins.

Tub Collins, director of Furniture Now!, said the milk float itself was recycled as it still had its original 1959 body but had been adapted, with canvas sides added.

He said: "People in Piddinghoe love it. It is all about making recycling fun and attractive to people. The milk float is environmentally friendly and we don't have to pay tax as it is an historic vehicle.

"It is an experience to drive. It doesn't have power steering and you need pretty strong arms to do a three-point turn."