This year’s programme, which saw a total of 2277 bags of litter collected, is part of the council’s It’s Your Place campaign which aims to encourage all residents to respect their local community spaces.

But despite this message, clean-up teams were sent out for 30 days, clearing more than 77 miles of roads and verges in and around the Clydesdale, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Larkhall, Stonehouse and Strathaven areas.

This year the council had to use additional staff, set up temporary road restrictions and dispose of nine tonnes of rubbish - time and expense that could have been used to deliver more positive services for the community.

And although there seems to be a slight decrease overall in the amount of waste dumped at the side of our rural roads, there are sadly many areas which are seeing large increases in the amount of thoughtlessly dumped waste.

All this can easily be avoided if everyone just correctly disposes of their litter at any of the council’s waste recycling centres, litter bins across South Lanarkshire or just taken home and disposed of using the correct wheelie bin.

Roadside litter has become one of the biggest issues in Scotland. Not only is littering illegal and unsightly, but it also poses a danger to wildlife. As well as the obvious dangers of broken glass and sharp plastics, animals can also easily get stuck inside bottles and food containers.

And even more abhorrent is the health risks faced by litter picking teams who are regularly faced with human waste found dumped in bottles and other containers by the roadside.

Kevin Carr, the head of the council’s Facilities, Waste and Grounds Services, said: “So much time, money and resources are being wasted clearing up rubbish.

“Although we did uplift slightly less roadside litter this year, the problem is still significant with some areas a lot worse than they have been in previous years.

“So, we again urge everyone in our communities to help by not discarding rubbish in the first place. Let’s all do our bit to help South Lanarkshire be the place we are proud to call home - “It’s your place”.

More information on what we are doing to combat litter and fly-tipping, advice on how to report local issues, and details of how the council can help with community clean-up events are available on our fly-tipping information pages.

Penalties for those caught dropping litter range from £80, while the illegal dumping of waste carries fines from £200, as well as the potential for criminal charges and even a prison sentence for the worst offenders.