A Chinese street sweeper had been rapped by bosses for climbing up a tree to shake the leaves off so she does not have to clear them up later.

A video filmed in the district of Hechuan in the Chinese municipality of Chongqing on 20th March apparently shows the red-suited sweeper trying to get ahead of the southern hemisphere’s autumn leaf fall.

In the footage the sanitation worker, who has not been named, can be seen climbing up the tall tree, risking her life, and then trying to shake off all the leaves.

Local media reports she wanted to shake off all the leaves so that she would not have to sweep them up again when they fall in China’s autumn.

But some reports say she could have been trying to avoid harsh rules set by local officials, who are said to be penalising sanitation workers for messy streets.

The cleaner has been warned about her act by the management of the company, and so far, no further sanctions have been reported in this case.