This is the start of the council’s annual rural roads programme which will move on to roads in Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Clydesdale, Larkhall, Strathaven and Hamilton in the coming weeks.

From Monday 23 June the teams will tackle the following roads:

• Strathaven Road
• Markethill Road and Cairnmuir Road
• Peel Road and Carmunnock Bypass
• Stoneymeadow Road and Crookedshield Road
• Shields Road and Auldhouse Road

Time spent on each road will vary dependent on volumes of litter, length of the road, and weather conditions.

To ensure the safety of the workforce during the clean-up programme, each road will have to be reduced to one lane at the sections being worked on between 9am and 3.30pm daily from Monday to Friday each week.

However, as some could take longer than others, drivers are urged to be prepared for potential delays or to consider alternative routes.

Councillor Robert Brown, chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee said: “Our teams work hard throughout the year trying to keep our environment clear from dumped litter and rubbish.

“It’s disappointing that we have to spend so much time and money clearing up rubbish that could have and should have been disposed of responsibly.

“Please, do not throw away rubbish. Litter should always be put in litter bins, household bins or collected and taken to any of our recycling centres.

“I apologise for any inconvenience caused during this year’s clean-up campaign and thank everyone in advance for their patience while we again carry out this time-consuming and expensive task.” 

Penalties for those caught dropping litter range from £80, while the Illegal dumping of waste carries a fixed penalty notice of £500, as well as the potential for criminal charges and even a prison sentence for the worst offenders.