Roadside litter turned into Christmas display

Discarded crisp packets and disposable cups have been made into animal-themed decorations as part of a campaign to raise awareness of roadside litter.

Children from Shap, Tebay and Orton primary schools in Cumbria volunteered to make the decorated Christmas trees and arches on display at Westmorland Farmshop's Tebay Services.

The project is part of National Highways' drive to reduce roadside rubbish, which it says costs millions of pounds to clear and endangers wildlife.

Rachel McHugh, from the farmshop, said: "Litter on the road network doesn't just spoil the places we love - it harms wildlife and impacts the people who work hard to keep these routes safe."

The children used rubbish commonly found on roads to create eight displays.

National Highways said a survey of 1,000 motorists showed 22% admitted to littering major roads in England, with more than half saying they were unaware it could lead to delays due to road workers having to pick it up.

Freda Rashdi, head of customer journeys at the organisation, urged people to stop littering.

She said: "We don't want a lot for Christmas and we certainly won't be wishing for snow.

"What we do want is for everyone to have safe and smooth journeys over Christmas."

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