DRIVERS should be more considerate and respect the environment, says a councillor.

A team of workers are out in North Herts giving the major roads a �100,000 deep clean.

They will be at it for a month – and most of the stuff being picked up has been thrown out of cars.

Fast food debris is the most commonly found item.

Last year, more than 210 tonnes of rubbish was collected.

Cllr Peter Burt, North Herts District Council’s portfolio holder for waste and recycling, said: “It is a very sad fact that most of this cleaning would not be necessary if people were just more considerate.

“Throwing rubbish out of a car is a certain way to spoil our lovely countryside and clearing it up is very expensive. We could use that money much more constructively especially in these hard financial times.”

The council conducts a thorough clean-up once a year, closing off part of the carriageway to allow road sweepers to clear out the gullies and drains while eight people pick litter off the verges.

It has been working closely with contractor Veolia to explore new ways of deep cleaning high speed roads, combining services so that there is less disruption to drivers.

This year, Veolia have subsidised the additional resources of a tractor and flail to cut back overhanging branches and wild vegetation that has grown on the verges. This will mean that the roads can be litter picked more frequently and cost effectively without needing to be coned off for safety.

The operation will take cover the A505, A507, A602 and the Wymondley and Baldock bypasses. Work started last week on the Luton to Hitchin stretch of the A505.