A TWO-DAY litter pick has taken place along a major Worcester road - with even a dead SHEEP found among the waste.
After months of concern about the A449 in Claines, Worcester City Council has sent a team of pickers out to tend to its snaking verges.
A special hit squad ended up collecting up 2.5 tonnes of rubbish with bed sheets, tyres, vehicle parts, plastic bags and food packaging among the mess.
But even a sheep carcass was recovered as well as drink cans galore, disposable cups and cigarette butts.
A team of 15 workers started at the Claines roundabout, going all the way up to the Sixways island in a three-mile stretch.
A different side of the road was done each day, with the mammoth operation giving the route a timely facelift for the long summer months.
It follows growing concern about the A449's appearance, led by Councillor Andy Stafford, who represents the area on both the city and county councils.
In March the city council unanimously agreed a motion to urgently investigate what can be done to improve the route after he drafted it together.
All the rubbish collected up during the two-day effort was enough to fill eight transit vans, with council chiefs issuing a fresh plea for drivers to stop dumping rubbish.
They will return at a later stage, but hope it will not be as bad next time.
A city council spokesman said: "We'd like to appeal to drivers to avoid throwing litter from their vehicles, especially on this part of the A449 where it's very difficult to get it removed.
"Please do the responsible thing and take your litter home with you."
The litter operation was arranged to coincide with seasonal grass cutting on the A449, which is done by the county council two to three times per year.
The inside lane of each side of the A449 was coned off to protect staff during the work.
Cllr Stafford has called the mess "incredible", with fellow politicians saying they feel the A449 gives visitors a poor impression of Worcester.
Source: www.bing.com