Millions of shrews, voles and mice ‘being killed each year by litter thrown from cars’

Litterbug drivers and their passengers are killing millions of voles, mice and shrews each year, a new study has discovered.

An investigation into litter left along roadsides and in lay-bys found that up to 3.2m of the UK’s smallest mammals were dying every year as a result of the animals crawling into discarded bottles and cans, becoming trapped and suffocating.

Common shrews, pygmy shrews, bank voles and wood mice form an integral part of the UK’s ecological infrastructure, eating plants and insects as well as being prey for rare birds such as owls and hawks, and the Keep Britain Tidy study by nature lover Graham Moates aims to stop people thoughtlessly discarding rubbish from their cars.

It comes ahead of new regulations next month, which will see councils given more power to fine people caught throwing litter out of their vehicle. It will allow the authorities to issue fines to the registered keeper of the car – no matter who actually threw the litter.

Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: “We are spending millions of pounds every year cleaning up after selfish drivers who seem to think it is acceptable to throw their rubbish out of their car, van or lorry, turning our roadsides into a giant heartless wasteland.

“Now, thanks to this study, we know that they are not only making our country look filthy, they are also killing our shrews and voles.”