Rubbish thrown from passing vehicles along the ‘floral mile’ stretch of the A4 in Hare Hatch and Kiln Green has yielded 60 sacks of litter, car parts and other debris, thanks to a clean-up squad of local volunteers.
The picker-stick posse, assembled by Hurst councillor Wayne Smith who lives nearby, included residents from the Bath Road, Blakes Lane, Milley Lane, Scarletts Lane and Tag Lane.
They joined forces to attack the accumulated rubbish on the main road’s footpaths and verges.
The group claimed that no A4 litter had been collected by Wokingham Borough Council for weeks, and it had become not only a foul-smelling eyesore but also a trip hazard and a danger to dogs and wildlife.
Cllr Smith said: “Residents are often keen to keep their own roads tidy but the A4, with up to 2,000 fast-moving vehicles an hour, is rather daunting to clean up if the council neglects it, so our brave bunch of volunteers had to tread carefully.”
After 22 years as councillor for Hurst, he is now standing for election in the newly redrawn Thames Ward – which includes Charvil, Hare Hatch, Kiln Green, Remenham, Sonning and Wargrave.
He added: “This has been my family’s local patch for the past 15 years, and we must not allow the authorities to neglect it.”
