Over eight tonnes of bulky rubbish and litter was removed by Dacorum Borough Council from along the A41 during a six day blitz.

During the clean-up operation a team of up to 15 staff picked-up litter from the slip roads, junctions and grass verges of the A41, gradually working their way from the junction with the M25 at Kings Langley through to Tring and back again, covering a total of 26 miles.

The central reservation will be cleared later in the summer to coincide with a Hertfordshire County Council grass cutting operation.

The council clears the A41 at least twice a year. In addition to the usual litter of coffee cups, drink cans and food packaging thrown out of vehicles the council also removed car parts, including tyres and bumpers, and white goods such as fridges and mattresses.

Craig Thorpe, environmental services group manager, said: "Clearing this litter is an expensive process and it has cost us £8,250 just to manage the road closures so we can safely pick up rubbish that shouldn't have been dropped in the first place.

"Litter along this main route not only doesn't just look unsightly, it can be a hazard to motorists.

"I would like to urge drivers and their passengers to take their litter home with them so we can keep our roads clean and safe."