Some forty volunteers in waders and wellingtons spent Sunday morning dragging rubbish out of the Weldale, in the biggest turnout the town’s twice-yearly river clean has ever managed.
Between the Mill Road bridge and the recreation ground the group filled dozens of sacks, but it was the larger finds that raised eyebrows: three shopping trolleys, a rusted bicycle frame and a car wheel still on its rim.
Why it matters
Organisers say the clean is about more than appearances. Debris in the channel snags branches and worsens the flooding that hits the low ground after heavy rain.
- Around 40 volunteers across a two-hour session
- Roughly 30 sacks of litter removed
- Larger items lifted out with the help of grappling hooks
- Wildlife spotters recorded a kingfisher and two herons
The next clean is pencilled in for the spring. Anyone wanting to help is asked to bring stout boots and gloves; the group provides litter pickers, sacks and, crucially, hot tea afterwards.
Related: More community news · Weldale bridge repairs
Further reading: About fly-tipping