Seven tonnes of rubbish picked up in town litter blitz

MORE than seven tonnes of litter was picked-up from the A444 and grimy roads around Nuneaton and Bedworth.

The huge blitz against litter and fly-tipping took place on the A444, B4113 (Pickards Way) and nearby country lanes.

Gypsy Lane in Nuneaton along with Coventry Road Bulkington, Astley Lane, Bedworth Lane and Hospital Lane in Bedworth were also targeted.

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has revealed that a total of 7.4 tonnes of litter was collected, with approximately one tonne of large items along with 65 tonnes of road sweepings, mostly earmarked for recycling.

Much-needed maintenance work has also taken place on some of the roads by highways officials from Warwickshire County Council while the road closures were in place.

Councillor Jill Sheppard, cabinet member for refuse at the Town Hall, said that not only do the clean-ups cost the tax payers thousands of pounds, it also puts staff at risk to carry them out - so she has appealed to litter bugs to stop.

“These roads have benefited from the operation and thanks go out to the tremendous work carried out by the council’s cleansing teams,” Cllr Sheppard said.

“There has been a gradual build-up of litter along these stretches of roads which becomes unsightly to look at for both residents and visitors alike and which costs taxpayers considerable expense to clean.

“If anyone does see littering from a motor vehicle or fly tipping, I urge you to come forward with the details for us to investigate.”

The litter-picked routes are not only notorious for car litter being dumped out of windows but also fly-tipping.

As a result, the council has asked residents and road users to take waste home with them.

But, as littering and fly-tipping remains a constant issue, the Town Hall has warned that it now has smart cameras in fly-tipping ‘hot spot’ areas within the borough.

The camera’s are designed to detect and ultimately prosecute offenders and will be moved and installed around the Borough in areas of concern.

For more information about household waste disposal or to report littering, call the borough council on 024 7637 6376.