Stoke-on-Trent: More than 15 tonnes of rubbish cleared from A50

The waste had been thrown from vehicles on the Meir to Stoke stretch of the A50

More than 15 tonnes of litter and debris has been cleared from one of the major gateways to Stoke-on-Trent.

The waste, equivalent to the weight of about nine cars, had been thrown from vehicles on the Meir to Stoke stretch of the A50, the city council stated.

Teams operated during three weeks of overnight closures and the authority said it worked with National Highways to make use of the road being shut.

It also appealed to people to please "help to keep our city tidy".

In addition to night closures, city council teams carry out regular litter picking along the sides of Stoke-on-Trent's road network.

Carl Edwards, cabinet member for housing and environment, said there was "no excuse for littering" and keeping the main strategic routes clean "gives a positive impression to visitors and residents".

He said: "It is absolutely unacceptable that people throw rubbish from their cars and expect our teams to put themselves at risk or work through the night to clean up after them.

"We recognise that it is not only our residents who are dropping litter and it is equally unacceptable for visitors to our city to leave their rubbish on our roads.

"As well as risking a £150 fine for the driver of the vehicle, these people are blighting our city and the major routes through it."