Motorists are being urged to shop roadside litterbugs whose eyesore activities are taking up valuable resources.

The Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) says it is doing what it can in the fight against roadside litter – but it needs help from the public.

This is the time of year authorities receive the most complaints about litter on verges and at the roadside as vegetation is cut back to reveal the mess.

Cllr Tony Alford, chairman of the DWP’s Joint Committee, said: “We would like to thank the majority of Dorset motorists and passengers who take their rubbish home and dispose of it properly. But the responsibility for this mess at the roadside lies with the minority who think it is acceptable to throw rubbish from their vehicles.

"While the DWP has an important duty to clear up litter, roadside litter-picking takes resources and money away from essential services. If you spot litter being thrown from a vehicle, please let us know. Together, we can help stamp out this anti-social behaviour.”

DWP organises litter picking on the worst affected areas at this time of year – roads targeted recently or those that area about to be cleaned include the Weymouth Relief Road, the B3157 Granby Way from Chafeys roundabout to Chickerell and the Blandford bypass.

Last year, litter picking work cost Dorset tax-payers around £40,000.

Picking on high-speed roads requires a lot of planning. The DWP must apply for a Traffic Regulation Order and uses teams of up to 12 staff. It is often done overnight when traffic is at a minimum or when roads can be closed.

A DWP spokesman said: "Perhaps our biggest frustration is that, despite our efforts, some roads become covered in litter again just weeks later, often leading to the assumption that litter picking hasn't been done.

"The bottom line is that there wouldn’t be a problem if some people didn’t throw their litter out of cars in the first place.

"The DWP is supporting Litter Free Dorset’s ‘Don’t be a TOS53R’ campaign, which has been designed to send a hard-hitting message to drivers and their passengers that our roads are not one giant litter bin and that the owner of a vehicle can be fined up to £100 if rubbish is seen being thrown out of a car window."

Roadside litter can be reported via dorsetforyou.gov.uk/litter