THE AMOUNT of roadside litter cleared every year in the Vale of Glamorgan has been revealed by Keep Wales Tidy.

A survey revealed that about 390 tonnes is collected and more than 500 complaints received by the council annually with major A roads being the most significant problem areas.

The data comes from a first of its kind survey carried out by Keep Wales Tidy which involved every local authority in Wales.

The estimated cost of collecting and disposing of the litter in Wales is around £3.5 million a year.

Cllr Gwyn John, Vale council cabinet member for visible, leisure and regulatory services said: "Littering is a crime and people who discard litter from cars at the roadside should be aware that is expensive and hazardous to collect it and it is an unnecessary cost to the taxpayer that could be better spent on other services.

"Car litter has become one of our biggest problems and the council will be targeting this offence to prevent the visual impact litter is having on our environment and the detrimental effect it has on wildlife.

"Our message is simple, take your litter home and dispose of it responsibly through your normal household waste collection service or face the possibility of a £75 fixed penalty notice."

Keep Wales Tidy’s roadside litter report looks at how the issue has been tackled around the world and outlines a number of recommendations.

These include greater collaboration with businesses and driving associations, adopt-a-road schemes, as well as targeted anti-litter campaigns.

Jemma Bere, policy manager for Keep Wales Tidy said: "Litter is a blight on our streets and communities and costs us dearly, whether environmentally, economically or socially, the impacts are far-reaching.

"All litter is an avoidable problem and education, enforcement, engagement and policy and legislation all have a part to play.

"However, roadside litter is more complex in nature and campaigns require careful thought and targeting.

"We are currently exploring options with Welsh Government and local authorities, and will be trialling some solutions in the near future.”