Robot grocery delivery service launches in Leeds

Supermarket grocery delivery robots are set to become a familiar sight on the streets of a Leeds suburb.

Leeds City Council has partnered with the Co-op and Starship Technologies to offer the service to 20,000 residents in the Adel and Tinshill areas.

The expansion to Yorkshire comes after the roving robots were introduced in other areas, including Milton Keynes.

The scheme would help reduce the number of short journeys made by car, officials said.

According to the firm, the robots are a more "sustainable and affordable way to get groceries delivered to your door", with an average delivery for a robot consuming as little energy as boiling a kettle to make just one cup of tea.

The robots are also lightweight and travel at human walking pace - no faster than 4mph (6km/h).

The robots are able to travel on pavements and navigate around obstacles

Starship, which plans to dress the six-wheeled robots as reindeer over the festive season, first launched the scheme in Milton Keynes and has been steadily expanding ever since.

Chief executive Alastair Westgarth said the three-month trial in Leeds was the firm's "first significant expansion to the north of England".

"We are confident the robots will make a positive impact in terms of actively reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions, while also providing ease and convenience for local communities," he said.

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council's executive member for infrastructure and climate, said the technology would help "to reduce the number of short journeys made by car, including those made by delivery vehicles".

"As a council we are absolutely committed to delivering alternative, sustainable methods of travel to help reach our target of becoming net-zero by 2030," she added.