East Hampshire Norse crews were out in full force in April, clearing litter from the verges of the A31 while Hampshire County Council’s Highways team carried out grass cutting.

The A31 clear-up was completed on Tuesday, April 15, ahead of the Easter weekend.

Crews covered over 15 miles in five days and collected more than 800 black bags of litter, weighing more than 2060kgs – roughly the same weight as a Transit van! Items ranged from food packaging, bottles, tyres and exhaust systems.

The work was co-ordinated to be carried out on four separate occasions, between the county council's grass cutting teams and EHDC’s street care provider, East Hampshire Norse to ensure that they could safely pick-up the litter on the busy stretch of road.

To clear the road safely, lane closures were needed on various sections, which can be a very expensive process. The council took the opportunity to get crews on site during planned closures, reducing costs to taxpayers.

EHDC leader Cllr Richard Millard said: “During our Great Spring Clean, residents highlighted the issue of litter on the A31 as a particular problem. The area is looking much better now.

“Everyone can play their part in helping to avoid the problem of litter in the district, if we all act responsibly and put our litter in a bin or take it home.”

The best way to stop litter spoiling is to not drop it. If you’re out and about, look for a litter bin to put it in, and if you can't find one, take it home with you.

Don't leave your rubbish on or near an already full litter bin. Adding to an overflowing bin makes it much more likely that your rubbish will blow onto the ground. If you do find an EHDC litter bin that needs emptying, you can report it through the council’s website.