RUBBISH weighing the equivalent of a blue whale’s tongue has been collected from roadside verges in Craven by council officers since early April.

Amongst the three tonnes of rubbish was a bag containing keys, money and ID, which had been lost from the back of a motorbike and which has now been returned to the owner.

The annual spring clean of verges along main highways carried out by Craven District Council began on April 6 and is due to run for about two months.

Tracy McLuckie, the council’s environmental services manager, said: “Our teams are working hard around the district to ensure Craven looks at its best for residents and visitors.

“Unfortunately there has been a huge amount of litter left by thoughtless drivers along our roads this year. We have even had a couple of drivers throw litter out of their car window while passing the crews.”

She added: “We have to plan this clean-up programme carefully as it can be dangerous working on the verges of busy roads, and we need to create a rolling road closure to protect staff. We ask drivers to be patient and considerate, and of course we would urge people not to drop litter and fly-tip in the first place.”

The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 states that if a person drops, throws, deposits, or leaves anything that causes defacement in a public place, they are committing a littering offence. People caught littering can be issued with a fixed penalty notice. Failure to pay will result in prosecution, so always try to use a litter bin or take it home.

If groups would like to organise or take part in a litter-pick event or community clean-up, Craven District Council can help by providing free refuse sacks, gloves, litter-pickers and free collection of the rubbish.

Contact waste management services on 01756 700600, or email wastemanagement@cravendc.gov.uk for more information. Waste management is also supporting Aire Rivers Trust with its DNAire Project to clean up the River Aire.