It is the only machine of its kind in use in the UK and it is the latest acquisition in an investment spree totalling nearly £400,000 which maintains Arvill’s extensive hire fleet at the cutting edge of sustainable, eco-sensitive and safe construction methods.

The stonecrusher, which cost £30,000, is designed and built for a new skid steer tracked unit which cost an additional £46,000. Its size makes it ideal for dirt and gravel roads, bike and horse trails, landscaping and difficult terrain.

It has already been tried and tested on several projects and involved in a programme of upgrading towpaths along the canal network throughout Scotland.

Hayley Shevill, commercial director at Arvill Plant and Tool Hire, said: “The stonecrusher is ideal for challenging terrains such as the canal and cycle paths, which are narrow and can have fragile banks. The unit also helped reduce disruption to pedestrians and the paths remained open throughout operations.”

The kit can work in conjunction with ground stabilisation materials, creating a strong load-bearing layer with a suitably flat surface.

Ms Shevill said: “This solution meets a number of environmental criteria. It means no energy intensive excavation is needed in a quarry to provide material and it reduces pollution, time and costs on site. We are confident that our acquisition of this machine will open up new markets for us.”

As part of its ongoing expansion strategy, Arvill Plant and Tool Hire has also added 10-tonne cab dumpers and six-tonne cab dumpers to their fleet of dumpers, diggers, rollers, compaction equipment, telehandlers and self-propelled access platforms up to 46ft.

The larger dumpers are fitted with front and rear integrated cameras and the smaller with front cameras which will address many of the safety concerns around front tipping vehicles in which the skip obscures the driver’s vision.

Arvill Plant aims to help eliminate many of the major risks to health and safety by investing in dumpers that are fitted with rotational cabs to allow for maximum visibility whilst the machine is in use.