Big tidy-up at motorway junction

VOLUNTEERS and workers rolled up their sleeves and collected 30 bags of litter.

Staff from National Highways joined forces with Skanska, HW Martin and Highways Resource Solutions and collected 30 bags of rubbish from Catherine de Barnes Lane in Solihull while work continues nearby on the £282million upgrade at junction 6 of the M42.

Fast food wrappers, plastic bottles and cups were among the litter which had been discarded at the side of the road.

The tidy-up follows the launch of a new national social media campaign by National Highways calling on people to stop and think before they discard litter.

The highways agency says it costs the taxpayer an estimated £1billion to clean up across the UK every year.

The volunteers made special use of an electric tricycle from Solihull Council’s sustainable travel team to help carry some of the rubbish bags during the tidy up.

National Highways project manager, Adam Gallis said: “As we’re working in the area as part of our major upgrade at junction 6 of the M42, we decided to tidy up Catherine de Barnes Lane.

“It is disappointing to see how much litter has been thrown onto the roadside and we would urge road users to take their rubbish home – if people didn’t drop litter in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up.

“We know that littering is a social problem across the country and we’re working hard to tackle it on our roads.

“Roadside litter is a threat to other drivers and vehicles using our roads, the environment and wildlife, it can block drains and forces us to close roads to ensure roadworkers can safely clear up the mess.”