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Watch the Channel 4 News Special Report  

Clean Up Britain (with excellent research contributed by Peter Silverman of Clean Highways) have collaborated with Channel 4 News to bring this Special Report. Investigation into Highways England has revealed a private contract, £8 Billion of public money and a very littered M25…

Channel 4 News’ Chief Correspondent, Alex Thomson writes : “Instead of pristine stretches of road, Britain’s motorways are being treated as a rubbish dump with verges covered in piles of discarded trash.

Under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, Highways England are supposed to make sure major roads are kept litter free. So why isn’t Connect Plus, the private firm which has the contract to keep motorways like the M25 spick and span, doing just that?”

2 Comments

  • Anwen Clark says:

    Please could you advise me re increasing litter and fly tipping in my local area? It is all along the verges on a busy country road near our village including in the water filled ditches. I have informed the council who informed me that they close the ‘fast road’ bi annually to clean it up but I know this has not been the case for a few years. They also advised me that the ditches are the responsibility of Natural Resources Wales. They in turn informed me that it is not their responsibility but that of the local authority . I have let the council know with a copy of the email from NRW this evening. What else can I do? I would gladly try and pick it up myself but there are no pavements and its windy in parts. Its wrong to expect anyone to do this! I suggested signage to no avail. Thank you so much for all you do. I hope you can help.

  • Tamsyn Bond says:

    How about a website dedicated to people’s photos of rubbish in verges and beauty spots around the UK?
    I found that even on the most inaccessible part of Corfe Castle, Dorset, there were bottles and cans last week. It’s time to raise awareness for an attitude that needs to change.

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