VIDEO: Roadside litter is a disgrace, says driver

6:00pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in News

Cabinet maker Simon Owens is so disgusted with the amount of litter strewn around Dorset he's making a film to highlight the problem.

He took this footage with a camcorder strapped to the passenger seat of his car as he drove down the A338.

He said: "I am tired of seeing the enormous amounts of the stuff strewn around our countryside, and particularly along the verges of our roads. 

"Travelling down the A338  the other day, I strapped my camcorder to the passenger seat of my car and took some footage of the atrocious state of the verges on the A338 between the Ringwood roundabout and Christchurch turnoff. I am sure many people notice it."

Do you agree that Dorset's verges need a clean? Let us know in the comments.

Comments(18)

BIGTONE says...
6:10pm Wed 30 Jan 13

Yep....the foreign visitors obviously can see we live in a dustbin.

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lilliputian says...
6:26pm Wed 30 Jan 13

Absolutely right! The stretch from Blackwater north to Ringwood is a disgrace. No doubt the respective councils of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Dorset will each have an excuse as to why it's not their responsibility!

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Tripod says...
7:05pm Wed 30 Jan 13

Yep, a disgrace, most major roads are like it, but would you rather one lane was blocked-off to allow litter picking every few months (or after strong wind)?

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Letcommonsenseprevail says...
8:17pm Wed 30 Jan 13

Went along the A31 towards Ringwood and the rubbish in the central reservations disgusting.

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Bournefre says...
8:23pm Wed 30 Jan 13

Indisputable evidence that the council need to employ wardens to go around fining smokers for dropping cigarette ends.

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twynham says...
8:54pm Wed 30 Jan 13

lilliputian wrote:
Absolutely right! The stretch from Blackwater north to Ringwood is a disgrace. No doubt the respective councils of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Dorset will each have an excuse as to why it's not their responsibility!
Maybe because they didn't drop the litter!!!

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Crank says...
9:06pm Wed 30 Jan 13

I'm with you. Friends and I formed a pickers' group (search for Chritters) but gave up with the hopeless tide of rubbish. Went to Dublin at New Year and it was squeaky clean. It's definitely an attitude problem.

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Liberty Belle says...
1:03am Thu 31 Jan 13

I regularly read the "Echo" and have occasionally made a comment. I hope this one is useful.

In North Carolina (USA) civic clubs and other service organizations volunteer to maintain roadsides to keep them free of litter. The names of the volunteering organizations are posted alongside their stretch of roadway adding a bit of pride and recognition.Yes, we still have a problem with litter, but certainly less of a problem thanks to the volunteers who pick up the roadside trash. There are also costly legal penalties imposed on those found littering.

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Gastines3 says...
7:37am Thu 31 Jan 13

Some years ago I posted a comment about the amount of rubbish on local roads and things obviously haven't changed.On the route from St.Malo to Cherbourg,approx 120 miles,it was possible to count the items of litter on one hand.You would see that amount in 120 yards;or metres; on virtually any road here.Main problem,a total breakdown in respect for anything by a large precentage,that includes any respect for themselves.We now have a second generation being brought up by parents incapable of teaching their children any manners or decency.It seems anything goes now and the rubbish that is strewn everywhere is just part of a very large social problem.Liberal thinking!!!

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Astrium says...
8:23am Thu 31 Jan 13

One of the main problems is that we transport our rubbish from waste transfer stations on open top artics, that only have a small net to keep the contents in.
I recently had the misfortune to lose a windscreen as a result of stuff falling from one of these.
I also notice that when crashed cars are recovered, usually glass and bumpers are left behind.
Maybe these companies that move waste or collect crashed vehicles should take more responsibility, or as the Environment Agency may call it, Duty of Care.

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tinkerten says...
8:27am Thu 31 Jan 13

I wrote to the Echo and Bournemouth council about this litter problem as it is a disgrace. All my friends from the U.S, Germany and Ukraine have made comments about how messy our road sides are and they are surprised that we accept this. About time the councils joined together in keeping it clean. Not good for the image of Bournemouth, and Christchurch...

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Crank says...
9:27am Thu 31 Jan 13

It's everywhere! Watch out for the worst and most frequent offenders: those who clear out their cars, often in a traffic queue. Take their registration number and report them. There was a big moan on the front page of the Daily Mail this week that returning soldiers are being employed to spot litter offenders. The Mail was outraged! Also, write to the schools and ask what education kids are receiving about this, cos they are also disgustingly frequent offenders.

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Hessenford says...
9:29am Thu 31 Jan 13

Bournefre wrote:
Indisputable evidence that the council need to employ wardens to go around fining smokers for dropping cigarette ends.
You must have good eyesight because I couldn't see one fag end in the video.

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rach74 says...
9:35am Thu 31 Jan 13

if they came to poole its even worse, every council works through the xmas period apart from poole, so some years we go 6 weeks before blue bin lorry to arrive and 3 weeks for black bin, you can imagine the rubbish blowing in the wind and also after xmas when its most peoples time to have more waste, and while im on the subject because we had a little bit of snow tomorrow will be 4 weeks since had blue bin collection, so our attitude is if they cant be bothered to collect recycling then i cant be bothered to seperate it as no way can my bin hold a month of recycle so most has gone in the black bin as we dont want bags hanging about which rodents can get into. so dont always blame people for litter its councils for not emptying bins also

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jeebuscripes says...
9:58am Thu 31 Jan 13

Do you agree that Dorset's verges need a clean?

Of course! Look at the video.

Where is the council spokesman? Who is responsible for this?

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m25roundabout says...
8:32am Sat 2 Feb 13

Hi, Simon Owens here, the chap who took the video footage. Thanks for your comments. I must admit although yes I think our Country's litter problem 'is' a disgrace, I prefer to use words to describe it as ridiculous, absurd and unnecessary.
My personal opinion is that there is way too much litter strewn around our countryside, rivers, roads and beaches for the appropriate councils to keep on top of. The responsibility for the litter in the first place is down to the general public, that's why I am making a plea to those that litter to "PLEASE" stop doing it.
A very small percentage flies off the garbage trucks but I grant you , yes it does happen.
I think if we are to take clearing our lands up seriously then yes we should start sensibly, efficiently and safely blocking one lane off on the big roads and seriously cleaning the verges.
I sincerely believe we can turn this problem around but to do so we must take it seriously.
Major campaign to ask people to stop dropping in the first place, major campaign to clean up the whole country, major 'will' to maintain a waste disposal system that is efficient, cost effective and ongoing.
"Let's do it"!
I have contacted the appropriate councils to see if together we can clear up the A338 and if you see a solitary figure in a high viz jacket in a months or so's time, it could be me. It will get cleaned. Cheers.

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Liberty Belle says...
2:03pm Sat 2 Feb 13

I just had a flash! Because clean up on roadsides is a dangerous endeavor, why not ask local police to block off the lane of traffic that borders the clean up area and direct traffic to share the other lane. On a two lane road it would cause some inconvenience and drivers may think twice and then again before dumping their "bits" on the berm. It would also lead drivers to observe more closely the litter problem.

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m25roundabout says...
2:37pm Sat 2 Feb 13

If we are going to seriously clean up many/all of our road verges then as you say this is what will 'have' to happen. We don't want anyone getting injured cleaning up other people's mess. Also, exactly as you say, great advertising to passing motorists who litter!

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