Volunteers cleared 120 tonnes of litter from a six-mile stretch of the A120 through Braintree district during a week of activity.

Staff from a number of businesses, including Tesco, KFC, Domino’s Pizza and McDonalds, joined council workers and others in a series of litter picks organised as part of the Love Essex anti-litter campaign.

Braintree District Council tidied the A120 verges and central reservation of the mammoth amount of rubbish, car parts and dead animals.

Karen Brown, chairman of Braintree East and Green Heart champion, organised a mass litter pick around the industrial area of Lakes Road and East Street which saw more than 30 bags of litter collected.

Elsewhere staff from McDonalds and KFC tackled hotspots around Galleys Corner, Cressing, Silver End and Witham and between them collected another 30 bags of litter including wheels, tyres, pieces of wood and dumped clothes.

Tesco staff were also out and about collecting litter in Braintree town centre.

In Braintree district alone £1.4million of taxpayers’ money is spent on keeping our area clean and tidy.

Wendy Schmitt, Braintree District Council’s cabinet member for environment and place, said: “People need to be more responsible when they are disposing of litter.

“I’m so pleased that so many caring members of our community came together to help keep our district clean and tidy.

“Events like these not only make our local environment look better but they also raise awareness about our battle against litter.”

The Love Essex/Suffolk/Kent anti-litter campaign, jointly launched earlier this year, saw more than 300 local businesses across the region join forces to combat litter.

Braintree District Council can support people organising a litter pick in their area. Call 01376 55252 or email csc@braintree.gov.uk for more.