New Litter Signs on A41

The A41 has received a spruce up just in time for Christmas. Dacorum Borough Council’s Clean, Safe and Green teams spent six days in challenging weather conditions litter-picking on the main verges and slip roads, collecting six tonnes of rubbish altogether. The litter collected was mainly made up of fast food items such as coffee cups, bottles and take away containers. The clean-up was necessary, despite having been done only nine months ago, due to people littering from their cars.

Portfolio Holder for Environment Sustainability and Regulatory Services, Councillor Janice Marshall, said: ‘The rubbish is unsightly, costs tax-payers thousands each year to clean up and is a danger to wildlife. We are urging you to take responsibility for your rubbish and keep it in your car until you find a bin. Throwing rubbish out of vehicles is illegal and you could receive a fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted in the Courts.’

The £150 Fixed Penalty Notice will go to the registered vehicle owner, regardless of whether it was the driver or a passenger who committed the offence.

Litter picks on high-speed roads such as the A41 cost thousands of pounds due to the need for road closures, vehicles and crew. Litter also kills millions of mammals each year. More than eight per cent of bottles found along roadsides contained dead animals such as mice, voles or shrews, which are critical members of our eco systems. The RSPCA deals with calls about larger animals killed or injured by litter every two hours.

To help raise awareness about this issue and discourage people from illegal littering, Dacorum Borough Council have installed 18 new anti-litter signs along the main road and slip roads. The signs have various messages urging road users to keep their rubbish in their car.

You can report litter or fly-tipping to the council here.