A machine that recycles and relays old asphalt on roads is being tried out by Dorset County Council.

The VEB Hot Asphalt Recycler is on loan for two weeks from Cornwall County Council and is being used to resurface two footpaths in Shaftesbury.

Existing layers of asphalt are taken up, mixed with a small amount of new material, reheated and then relaid on the same road or footpath.

The machine can produce up to 10 tonnes of recycled asphalt per hour.

Andrew Martin, head of the county council's contracting division, said the authority was hoping to use the machine more in the future.

He said: "These trials highlight our need to carry out more work using new techniques that could reduce costs and the impact we have on the environment."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/8324775.stm