The programme will start in the Hamilton area which last year resulted in more than 250 bin bags being filled with litter which had been strewn across more than 10 miles of roads and verges.

Amongst the discarded waste were hundreds of plastic bottles and cans that could have been recycled at our waste recycling centres, placed in bins across South Lanarkshire or taken home and disposed of in household wheely bins.

That amounted to £9,700 of council and therefore tax-payers money being wasted picking up the rubbish and putting in place temporary road restrictions and disposing of the rubbish.

This year’s Hamilton programme will be carried out in the same areas as follows:

• Monday 23 – Blantyre Farm Road & Calder Road down to bridge
• Tuesday 24 – Sydes Brae
• Wednesday 25 – Newhousemill Road
• Thursday 26 - Muttonhole Road
• Friday 27 – Carscallan Road

Additionally, there will also be a clean-up on Saturday 28 along East Greenlees Road in Cambuslang.

To ensure the safety of our 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 3pm daily. However, as some could take longer than others, drivers are urged to be prepared for potential delays or to consider alternative routes.

A continuing programme of similar clean ups will then take place across the other areas of the council during February and March; full details will be publicised in advance.

Councillor Robert Brown, the chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee said: “It is again very disappointing that we have had to waste so much time and money clearing up rubbish that could have and should have been disposed of responsibly.

“Our teams work hard to keep our area clean of dumped litter and rubbish. But the reality is that we need everyone in our communities to help by not throwing away rubbish that should be put in road-side bins, household bins or collected and taken to any of our recycling centres.

“A minority of people seem to think the rules don’t apply to them and that they can dump litter and rubbish wherever they like. This costs the public services time and money that could be better spent on other things. Neither the council nor local communities are prepared to tolerate this, and we aim to stamp it out.

“We take our role in changing that behaviour seriously, through a combination of education, awareness-raising and enforcement.

"But we also have a duty to make sure our communities are safe, clean, and welcoming. So, while we condemn the actions of an irresponsible few, we have to take this action to improve the environment. 

“So, 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 fines from £200, as well as the potential for criminal charges and even a prison sentence for the worst offenders.