CPRE president Sir Andrew Motion , who is demanding a national clean-up . Council chiefs were condemned last night after claiming it was too dangerous to collect the roadside litter blighting Britain . Winchester Council in Hampshire said its annual clean-up of roads around the city had been hit by new Health and Safety Executive rules designed to protect litter-pickers from traffic . But the HSE denied tightening rules – and said councils were ‘ over-interpreting ’ legislation . Last night , former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion , now president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England , accused town hall bosses and the Highways Agency of ruining the countryside by failing to remove rubbish . He said : ‘ Every day , people tell us that they are disgusted , angry and ashamed of the state of England ’ s roads . ‘ Nobody wants to drive through our beautiful countryside or approach a vibrant city , heralded only by discarded rubbish. ’ Although laws to fine people who throw litter from vehicles were now in place , their implementation had been delayed by ‘ shameful time-wasting ’ , Sir Andrew said . ‘ Without funding to tackle the problem , I fear our roads will become corridors of waste , ’ he added . Highways England – the Government-owned company launched last week to replace the Highways Agency – is required to keep the motorway network clean , but responsibility for clearing A-roads and trunk routes is divided between the agency and councils . Scroll down for video . Peter Silverman , of pressure group Clean Highways , said : ‘ Of course safety is paramount but councils are always looking for excuses and this is just the latest . They are shutting their eyes to the problem of litter. ’ Roadside litter has become a problem almost everywhere in the UK . Disgrace : Winchester Council chiefs claimed it was too dangerous to collect roadside litter . Pictured : rubbish beside Crookilley Way , Stockport . Andrew Gwynne , who is standing for re-election as Labour MP in Denton and Reddish in Greater Manchester , said : ‘ The Highways Agency is atrocious when it comes to removing rubbish . The worst case I ’ ve come across is Crookilley Way in Stockport , which is littered with plastic bags and bottles. ’ A Highways England spokesman said : ‘ Although we spend at least £6 million a year collecting more than 150,000 sacks of litter from England ’ s motorways , we still find the level of litter unacceptable . We will continue to investigate what more can be done. ’ Winchester Council insisted that the HSE had ‘ clarified ’ last June that litter-picking was covered by the same code of practice that governs employees involved in highway maintenance – requiring a wider separation than was previously the case between workers and passing traffic .
Winchester Council in Britain claimed annual clean-up hit by new rules . But the Health and Safety Executive denied tightening rules and added that councils were ‘ over-interpreting ’ legislation . Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion accused town hall bosses and Highways Agency of ruining the countryside by failing to remove rubbish .