'Graveyard' of metal A-frames appears on roadside

A man who displayed a "graveyard" of more than two dozen metal A-frames by the side of a road said he wanted to provoke a response from people.

Christopher "Chip" Thorogood from Braintree, Essex gathered the metal frames, which are used to hold roadworks signs, while collecting litter near the A120.

"I was quite surprised how many there were, so I just made a display out of them to bring awareness," Mr Thorogood said.

The frames were removed within 24 hours of the BBC contacting Essex Highways, while Braintree District Council advised against litter-picking near very busy roads.

Mr Thorogood had displayed the items next to the Great Notley roundabout for several weeks.

"I've just decided to make a visual effect," he said before their removal, adding it served a double purpose as an art project "to make people think" about the state of the environment.

Essex Highways said everyone working for and on behalf of the authority was expected to remove traffic management items when works were complete but it could not take responsibility for signs left by utility companies and developers.

"We are happy to collect any Essex Highways signs that may have been overlooked or moved from their original locations," a spokesman said.

National Highways, which manages the A120, said it made "every effort" to keep the major road network clean and tidy.

"Work is ongoing with our contractors to ensure any redundant traffic management equipment is removed from our network and we are grateful to the public for contacting us when this has not taken place," a spokesperson told the BBC.

It added some frames were left "ready to use" on common diversion routes as it was more efficient than collecting and returning them each time.

Braintree District Council deputy leader Tom Cunningham said he appreciated people's pride in their local area but urged caution.

"We advise not to litter-pick along major highways that have an extremely high volume of traffic, such as the A120, nor roads that do not have a verge where people can walk safely by the side of the road," he said.

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