HS2 contractors are to be questioned over the "disgraceful" volume of litter – including urine-filled bottles – collected from the A46 in Warwickshire.

Cllr Richard Dickson this week told Warwick District Council - the body responsible for litter in the area - that a whopping 61,900 kilos of litter was fished from dual carriageway and its surrounds across just two collections in March and October.

Having mucked in himself, Cllr Dickson confirmed he had encountered "a lot of bottles of green water" and added that workers had reported a "notable increase" in rubbish during works by HS2 and Balfour Beatty Vinci.

"That amount of litter is damaging to the environment, it is bad for wildlife, it costs the taxpayer for that to be collected and it sends a very bad message to visitors to the district," said Cllr Dickson during questions to portfolio holders. 

"What action have you taken to ensure that the amount of litter collected in 2026 is lower?"

Portfolio holder for neighbourhood Cllr Will Roberts replied: "It is absolutely disgraceful that people driving along the road are chucking things out of the window. A lot of them, I know, are bottles of wee which have to be collected. 

"The team has been looking at putting up signage but we need Warwickshire County Council to come along with that journey."

There were murmurs from opposition ranks pointing out that National Highways looks after the A46 which Cllr Roberts acknowledged before adding: "We are talking to the county council as well."

He continued: "We are the collection authority so we do go and pick up the litter but is everything that is thrown out of the window our responsibility? 

"We need to make sure there is more messaging out there, it is just a shame that people think it is okay to just litter the highways but we need to make sure people are educated and take responsibility themselves.

"It is a dangerous job for those crews to be out there collecting it twice a year."

In a bid to get across the scale of the problem, Cllr Dickson said it as "equivalent to 61,900 bags of sugar", describing it as "a truly staggering amount".

He added: "Can I suggest that as well as signage, conversations are had with the two big contractors that are working nearby, and their subcontractors? The view of those collecting the litter was that there has been a notable increase whilst they have been there."

Cllr Roberts replied: "I will certainly take that feedback and we will have those conversations."