WRAPPERS, drink cans and cartons, carelessly flung into highway hedges, are usually painstakingly retrieved by council workers.

But thanks to a recent legal shift following a series of fatal accidents nationwide, litter collection on Hampshire roads with a speed limit of over 40mph is currently on hold.

Winchester City Council is one of many local authorities trying to work out a safer method. It is considering introducing traffic management schemes to protect workers.

Officers are most concerned about single carriageway and narrow rural roads, which do not have a wide verge or pavement.

The growing problem has angered local people. Michael Curtis, of Kilmeston, near Alresford, said; “If you go from Tesco to Bar End it is a disgrace. The A34 has not been touched for weeks.”

Safety measures likely to be introduced include a marked vehicle, signage and even lane closures to protect litter pickers.

The delay in implementing a revised collection programme since new rules kicked in has been caused the small number of authorised contractors available to carry out the more complex work.

A statement on the local authority's website said: “We are sorry that these new requirements are delaying the completion of this important work and rest assured we are doing all that we can to ensure that the roadside verges are returned to a satisfactory condition as soon as we can.

“We are arranging for the work to be carried out, but there is a delay in securing the necessary traffic management arrangements because of the new safety rules.

“We should know soon when the work will be done and we aim to update the statement then.

“The impact of these changes is being felt nationally and all local authorities are having to change the way in which they carry out this work.

“We would also ask, of course, that people do not drop litter in the first place and help to keep the Winchester district an attractive place to live, work and visit.”