A180 mess attracts rats months after clean-up plea

21 August 2025

Natalie Bell,BBC Newsand

Holly Phillips,BBC News

News image — Piles of rubbish remain at the lay-bys near Barnetby Top

BBC A black bin bag, a tyre, and rubbish on the ground. — Piles of rubbish remain at the lay-bys near Barnetby Top

Rubbish piling up beside the A180 is attracting rats months after a plea by people in the area to clean it up.

Janet and David Blessington, from Brigg, said a bottle of urine, a used nappy and empty beer cans were among items of litter they had seen in the lay-bys leading up to nearby Barnetby Top.

It comes after the couple reached out to BBC Look North in March as part of a segment called Leave it to Levy, in which presenter Peter Levy helps to resolve a particular issue.

The BBC has contacted North Lincolnshire Council for a response, but in April the authority said the lay-bys were cleared weekly.

Ms Blessington said: "It's just got worse. There's bags of rubbish, takeaway food containers, a pair of shoes, all sorts of bottles of dubious liquids.

"The rubbish stinks, it's attracting rats, it's awful, something needs to be done about it desperately."

A woman - Janet Blessington - stood in a garden with bushes surrounding her. She has a ginger fringe and is wearing glasses, pear earrings, and a blue and grey striped t-shirt. — Janet Blessington and her husband, David, from Brigg, said the litter on the A180 had got worse

In April, a spokesperson for North Lincolnshire Council said: "The lay-bys attract irresponsible and thoughtless people who constantly dump their waste for others to deal with."

The spokesperson added that, due to safety reasons, extensive cleaning was not possible without closing the road.

Mr Blessington called for more bins to be put in place as there were limited places to dispose of litter.

A spokesperson for National Highways confirmed local authorities were responsible for A roads, but said they had supported them before by installing bins.

Rubbish overflowing in a black bin. — Mr Blessington said more bins were needed in lay-bys

Martin Kennedy, a lorry driver in the area for the past 30 years, said it was everyone's responsibility to keep the roadside tidy.

"You've got to have respect for your country, it's not just lorry drivers, it's car drivers as well," he said.

In a renewed plea to the council, Ms Blessington said: "Get a grip, get the lay-by cleaned up."

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