Safety warning after roadside litter-picker injured in car collision
A COUNCIL is urging volunteer litter-pickers to ensure their safety comes first after a woman was rushed to hospital from a collision with a car while out collecting rubbish.
The incident took place on the A336 at Bartley on Saturday just before 11am.
It is thought the casualty, a member of Copythorne’s Parish Pickers group, suffered a broken wrist and several broken ribs. A police spokesperson confirmed that a 61-year-old male had been arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a controlled drug above the specified limit. He had been released under investigation.
A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service confirmed it had attended the scene after receiving a 999 call at about 10.50am and took the woman, who was in her sixties, to Southampton General Hospital for treatment.
A New Forest District Council spokesperson told the A&T: “We appreciate the efforts of our community to help keep the district clean and tidy and we would like to remind volunteers that they should always put their personal safety first.
“If you choose to go litter picking, for your safety please don’t litter pick along roads with a speed limit of more than 30mph, highways or highway verges, or any roads where there is no pavement or footpath.
"Avoid litter picking steep slopes, cliff edges or in water courses, always litter pick in daylight, and wear appropriate clothing and footwear, including a hi-vis vest if possible.”
The spokesperson added that due to Covid-19 restrictions the council was currently unable to loan equipment to support litter-picking activities.
As reported in the A&T, there has been a big increase in people tackling litter where they live, with a number of groups formed locally including Team Totton and the New Forest Litter Pickers.
The growing band of activists has spent much of lockdown collecting mounds of thrown-away plastic bags, cans and glass bottles, as well as disposable barbecues which are banned from use on Crown lands.
Residents who want to get involved can also sign up to get free litter picking kits from the New Forest National Park Authority at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/communities/get-involved/litter-picking
