Litter pickers report a rise in rubbish

Watch our report by ITV Meridian's Mary Stanley

Volunteers clearing up litter from roadside verges and beauty spots across the South say the situation has got much worse in the pandemic.

Covid restrictions have led to fewer litter collections and despite lockdown, when fewer people were out and about, rubbish is still on the rise.

The problem is particularly bad along roadsides, including the A34 and A331 Blackwater Valley.

As the amount of litter increases so too does the number of volunteers trying to clear it up.

Among the many groups trying to do their bit to help are Life not Litter, who have been collecting rubbish from the verges around the Surrey/Hampshire border and Litter Pickers of the New Forest who gathered 7,000 bags of rubbish in two months alone.

The Local Government Association says clearing rubbish is expensive at a time when budgets are tight for local councils.

Volunteer litter pickers are urging people to take their litter home so that they can spend time enjoying the countryside rather than having to clean it.