ABANDONED road signs - including one that has been dumped at the side of the road for two years - are 'blighting the county's landscape'.

The scourge of discarded roads signs, cones and barriers left behind after council funded roadworks has been highlighted by litter pickers who say they believe there is up to £500 worth of equipment dumped by Worcestershire's roadsides.

In one case, a road closure sign was even fished from the River Salwarpe.

Each traffic cone costs between £5-£30, while signs and barriers can be worth upwards of £100.

Worcestershire County Council has admitted that while equipment is 'usually' owned by contractors and traffic management companies, it should be cleared following the completion of council funded works.

It has pledged to look into reported incidents and take 'action as needed'.

Clive Shearman of Droitwich Spa Litter Pickers said he has totted up an estimated £500 worth of abandoned cones, signs and infrastructure that he's seen left around the county.

He said: "As litter pickers, all our groups in Droitwich, Malvern and Evesham are finding cones and signs abandoned.

"Rightly they are put out to warn, but once the hazard is gone they are often laid flat and then simply abandoned.

"There are diversion and flood signs on the A38 and A44 that I pass everyday on my bus run which have been there weeks, but the hazards have long since passed.

"You cannot drive more than a few hundred yards without seeing a cone in the bushes.

"On a purely visual level, they are an absolute blight on the landscape."

Mr Shearman says that he thinks one sign on the (B4084) by Lower Haselor House, Evesham has been there for as long as two years.

"Who is checking afterwards and enforcing a standard of care? The big sign holders are left everywhere, they are a substantial bit of metal and if you hit one they will cause injury," he continued.

"If you were involved in an accident and were injured, then who is going to take responsibility for them being left?"

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council, said: "During any roadworks, Worcestershire County Council through contractors, as well as utility companies use a range of equipment including signs and cones, these are generally owned by the traffic management companies.

"Any equipment used during roadworks should be collected following completion of the works. We will look at the specific details of the locations mentioned to action as needed."