Half of motorways and major roads strewn with litter

Almost half of all motorways and major A-roads are covered in "unacceptable" amounts of litter.

Only 53.6 per cent of the network was rated as grade A or B under the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs' (Defra) litter code of practice last year.

The rest was graded C, representing widespread distribution of litter, or D -- heavily affected by litter and/or refuse with significant accumulations which Defra deems an unacceptable blight on the landscape.

National Highways has a legal obligation to keep the roads clean

JOHN READ

The assessment was carried out by National Highways, the government-owned company responsible for managing the road network.

It has a legal obligation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to keep its land clear of litter.

In 2021-22, 60.8 per cent of the network was graded as A or B,