A VETERAN campaigner has been told he can expect a rapid response to his latest criticism of council performance.

Bernard Borman's long-running dispute with Richmondshire District Council over a series of issues is well-documented.

At the moment, he is locked in dispute with the authority over its claim that his complaints have cost more than £100,000 to investigate.

However, more recently, Mr Borman has been angered by the amount of litter strewn along the verges and in laybys along the A1 in North Yorkshire, penning a letter to the Highways Authority in an attempt to prompt action.

"Given that many businesses in North Yorkshire depend on tourism, it is just about the worst scene I have encountered for a long time. In most lay-bys, bins are not provided. There is also the aspect of road safety; if some of these items are caught between tyres and are thrown into the air on the motorway, people could be killed."

The Highways Agency is not responsible for litter on trunk roads through the county and referred Mr Borman to the local authority.

Yesterday, head of environmental health and housing with Hambleton District Council, Eric Kendall, confirmed contractors had begun work on a clear up and expected to finish in the next few days.

He said: "We did try bins in the lay-bys but people either didn't bother using them or they were vandalised or set on fire. Unfortunately, it does seem common practice just to throw rubbish out the window."