Parts of the A12 will be closed from Saturday to clean up piles of rubbish along its sides.

Braintree Council staff will start to clear litter on a 15km stretch of road between Hatfield Peverel and the district's boundary with Colchester borough, just past Kelvedon, with a rolling roadblock system.

Speaking about the state of the main artery into and out of the county, Braintree district councillor Helen Pitchforth, said: "Generally speaking it's terrible.

"The A12 is full of litter and it does need dealing with because we should not have our main roads lined with rubbish.

"I'm very pleased that the council is about to do something about it."

Lanes will be temporarily closed as the clean-up takes place, to ensure the safety of employees and allow a thorough clean.

It will be carried out in three phases of 5km, along the north-bound carriageway and then back down the south-bound.

A team of eight workers will be deployed to work on both sides of the road, including the central reservation, and the clean-up is expected to take two days.

Colchester Council will then start work on a 10km stretch, from half-way between Kelvedon and Marks Tey up to Ardleigh, on May 5 and 6.

It will continue over five subsequent weekends until it is finished, aiming to complete 2.5km a time.

It will clear verges on both carriageways but not the central reservation.

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