Keep your eyes on Dorset's roadsides as some larger-than-life wildlife will be appearing to remind motorists to Love Your Verge.

Three giant wildlife signs will be appearing along the county’s roads as part of the new #LoveYourVerge - This Is Not A Bin campaign.

A new campaign, launched by Litter Free Dorset (LFD), aims to help reduce litter found on roadside verges by highlighting he different wildlife that can be found there and how they can be harmed by persistent litter problems.

Litter Free Dorset is made up of a group of local government organisations, charities and community groups with their aim to work together to reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts of litter.

Charlie Wild, LFD Officer, said: “With the help of Dorset County Council’s Landscape team, we have erected three signs around the county – a giant heart, an over-sized stag beetle, and a larger than life hedgehog. These signs all have the message of #LoveYourVerge and help remind drivers that Dorset’s roadsides aren’t glorified bins with the message ‘This Is Not A Bin’.

The signs were designed by local artist, Claire Nuttall and an accompanying animation has been produced by Gordon Langley.

"Litter on our verges seems is becoming an increasing problem. For our visitors it is not a very nice welcome to the county. Dorset is renowned for its rolling green hills and stunning countryside, and we want people to really experience that – and not have a memory of rubbish along our roadsides,” Charlie said.

Litter Free Dorset are working closely with the Dorset Waste Partnership to raise awareness of this issue as the cost of removing litter from the verges is approximately £10,000 per litter pick.

The signs are now up with the the amazing hedgehog popping up along the Weymouth relief road, the fierce stag beetle appearing on the A354 towards Blandford Forum and the heart, complete with flowers and bees on West Moors Road at Ferndown.

Charlie said: “This campaign will help us highlight the worst roads in Dorset for litter and will remind people that the verges are wildlife habitats filled with a whole variety of animals and flowers. We really want to celebrate this wildlife and keep the area litter free.”

The signs will move around over the next month and LFD are looking for suitable locations so if you think a road is bad, contact them at litterfreedorset@dorsetcc.gov.uk or by Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

If you want to get behind this campaign and find out more about wildlife in our verges visit www.litterfreedorset.co.uk