Roadside littering in Somerset at its worst, charity says

Littering on major roads can be reported to National Highways, while rubbish on smaller roads should be reported to the local council

Roadside littering in Somerset is worse than it has ever been, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy says.

It said more drive-through facilities were partly to blame as well as cuts and confusion over which authority had responsibility for clearing litter up.

One lorry driver from the county said litter on verges of the A303 was the worst he had seen in years.

Somerset West and Taunton Council said litter clearance for major roads was organised by National Highways.

The council said larger roads were cleaned less frequently, because of the need for traffic management for safety reasons.

Last month, BBC Radio Bristol reported that some 60 bags of litter and a lorry full of bulky waste had been cleared from the A4174 Bristol ring road.

Small animals could get trapped in empty containers, the charity Keep Britain Tidy said

Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive Allison Odgen Newton said littering was costly to clean up and had a devastating impact on wildlife.

"We estimate that 3.4m voles die every year," as a result of littering, Ms Newton said.

"The biggest threat to small animals that live along those roadside verges is litter."

Lorry driver Steve told BBC Radio Bristol roadside littering in the UK was an "embarrassment".

"I've seen a lot of fly-tipping, mattresses dumped on the road, I've seen an abandoned trailer on the embankment," he said.

Confusion about which authority was responsible for clearing up litter was adding to the problem, the charity said

Ms Newton said responsibility for handling littering went beyond individuals and a better infrastructure was needed.

"There is a real confusion about who's responsible for what and we really need that sorting out because at the moment there is very little roadside litter clearance," she said.

The charity is calling for bigger bins to help encourage people to dispose of rubbish properly before they get back on the road.

In a statement, South Somerset District Council said it had installed wheeled litter bins along the A303 that were emptied twice a week.

"Where identifiable, letters are being sent to those who have committed the offence," it said.

"A recent review of the risk assessment resulted in litter picking along the A303 being a high risk activity and is carried out when the A303 is at its quietest."