Clean it up! Resident's anger at A66 rubbish

A TWO mile stretch of litter, broken cones and abandoned roadworks signs has angered a resident of the A66.
Anita Reed has complained to several authorities about errant snow poles, old signs and damp sandbags left by the roadside between her home and the eastbound Bowes turn off.
The former healthcare worker has spoken to Highways England, the police and even Teesdale’s MP Helen Goodman in an effort to rid her nearby road of the rubbish.
But more than two months on since it began to appear, the detritus has remained unmoved.
Mrs Reed said: “If you or I had a picnic and we left all our rubbish we would be prosecuted.
“It seems these people are immune from prosecution after doing work paid for by my taxpayers’ money.
“I counted 15 separate sightings in less than two miles – all it’s doing is attracting more rubbish.”
Work to upgrade the stretch were completed earlier this year with new snow poles put in. However, some of the old poles have come to rest on the eastbound grass verge alongside sign frames and some errant cones.
Mrs Reed was also unhappy with the number of truck drivers and motorists chucking rubbish from their windows.
She added: “We have just come back from being away and coming back over the A66 it was lovely and clean.
“As soon as we crossed the county boundary it was like someone had dropped all the rubbish they could find – it was spotless the other side of the county boundary.
“We are supposed to be an area of outstanding natural beauty, my eye.”
It isn’t the first time the A66 gateway to Teesdale has come under scrutiny for its cleanliness.
Residents have complained for years about litter building up in spring – with sightings of truck drivers discarding plastic bottles filled with urine at the roadside.
Mrs Reed said she’d phoned Highways England and a staff member had promised the roadwork equipment would be tidied up weeks ago.
“The work was completed more than two months ago so they have had plenty of time to clear up after themselves,” she added.
“It sounds like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut but as far as I'm concerned this is littering and fly tipping.”
After the Mercury got in touch, a spokesperson for Highways England said the group had been out to visit the site and the debris was removed last week.