Roadside litter between Shoreham and Steyning branded '˜appalling'

Carol Dowson has complained repeatedly of the mess strewn on the grass verges along the A283 between the Old Shoreham Cement Works and the Shoreham bypass, which she passes daily while travelling on the number two bus from her home in Shooting Field, Steyning.

The 36-year-old said: “It puts me in a bad mood for the day. It’s really appalling, there’s so much plastic, so many bottles.

“The lay-bys are so bad, people just stop there and throw stuff out.

“People seem to accept it as the norm really, which is a shame.”

She fears the litter on the road, which cuts through the South Downs National Park, is endangering wildlife.

She said: “It’s so toxic to wildlife and so close to the river – it’s ending up in the sea. It’s such a beautiful area.”

But despite having spent years complaining to Adur District Council – who are responsible for clearing this area – she said the issue was never dealt with satisfactorily.

“It may improve a bit, but it’s never completely cleared, and then it just worsens again,” she said.

“It’s making me insane, that nothing is ever properly done. That’s what people are paying council tax for.

“It gets worse and worse, it’s becoming a matter of urgency. They need to get ontop of it.

“If it was done monthly, it wouldn’t get to that stage.

“You hear all these stories about the danger of plastic, I think Adur District Council needs to take more responsibility.”

Carol, who works at the Martlets Hospice in Hove, said caring the environment had always been her ‘passion and hobby’.

“In my spare time I’m involved in conservation and environmental issues,” she said.

“It’s one of my massive bugbears to see places that are neglected.”

A spokesman for Adur District Council said: “The lay-bys in this section of road were last litter picked on Thursday.

“We would like to thank the local resident for bringing this to our attention and will arrange for the litter identified to be cleaned up during our next scheduled visit.”