Warwick District Council’s contractors idverde carry out the cleanse of the 18km stretch of the A46 including the lay-bys and central reservation twice per year. The latest cleanse took place over 10 nights in late October.

The team use a rolling lane closure to direct traffic away from the area they’re cleansing and work through the night to clear litter and debris from the roadside. 15,510kg was collected in total.

Councillor Will Roberts, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood, said: “It’s not very pleasant for our crews to be working in such risky conditions having to collect bottles of urine and other discarded waste from the roadside, and I would like to thank them for the work they do to keep our district tidy.

“It’s frustrating and annoying that litter has been recovered from the middle of the road, as surely it’s easier to just keep your waste in your vehicle and take it home with you, rather than discarding it and causing a potential hazard to other road users and wildlife.

“Tackling the problem of litter remains high on our agenda, and over the course of the next year we’ll be ramping up our anti-litter messaging and emphasising how it’s our collective responsibility to take care and pride in our District.

“Our Waste Education & Enforcement team will continue to be active in the community, monitoring and enforcing fly-tipping as well as educating residents on how to effectively dispose of their waste.”