LITTERBUGS who are treating the New Forest as a rubbish tip have prompted a couple to take matters into their own hands.

Frogham couple Chris and Barbara MacKay filled ten rubbish sacks with discarded cans, beer bottles, food wrappers and cigarette packets after picking litter between Fordingbridge and Cadnam.

The pair were so appalled by the volume of rubbish along Roger Penny Way that they are urging people to “take their litter home”.

Mr MacKay said: “We live in a most beautiful area, but people seem to have no regard for keeping it that way and are thoughtless enough in their actions to despoil the lovely countryside by discarding their litter.

“We covered both sides of the roadside verge and proceeded to pick up as much of the litter and debris as we could.

“Some three hours later we had arrived at the Nomansland crossroads on the Roger Penny Way having cleared that section of most of the rubbish.

“The Roger Penny Way is only one of the roads that crisscross the New Forest, but I feel sure that there are many others too that are suffering from the same problem.

“Let’s try to improve the situation – not onlyfor us residents, but also for our visitors, and of course for the wildlife that roams the New Forest. Let’s get the message across to take your litter home.”

The Forestry Commission is responsible for clearing roadside litter from unfenced Forest roads. A Forestry Commission spokesman said: “We have a contract to litter pick roadside verges safely and in accordance with the E n vir onmental Protection Act 1990.

“The Forestry Commission finds it unacceptable for litter to be thrown from passing vehicles. Not only is it unsightly and gives a poor impression to the many millions visiting the New Forest every year, but it can also cause serious harm to grazing stock.

“Litter picking is undertaken on a reactive basis as and where needed. This is largely based on reports from members of the public, local forest users and through our own staff reporting systems.

“It is not practical to litter pick all roads on a pre-planned schedule as the degree of litter in anyoneplace at anyone time is seasonal and sporadic and the Forestry Commission has to use its limited resources efficiently and effectively.”