Clear-up of river finds tyres, cones and trolleys!
A GROUP of volunteers had a bit of a shock when they cleaned up a river in South Wales – and found hundreds of items of rubbish.
More than 50 volunteers from the Cardiff Rivers Group helped clean the River Ogmore on Saturday.
But as the water level dropped, they were left stunned with what they found.
The team managed to collect 200 tyres, five trolleys, traffic cones, a road barrier, wheelbarrow, a large gas canister and 50 bags of smaller litter full of smaller pieces of plastic, such as cotton buds, bottle tops and bits of rope.
Local resident, Angela Parry and family, provided teas and coffees for the volunteers as they took breaks during the work.
She said: “A huge thanks to Cardiff Rivers Group and all the volunteers for cleaning this section of the Ogmore River - it was staggering how much rubbish had been dumped, especially the tyres!
“It was a fantastic morning. I would encourage anybody who enjoys the stunning scenery of Ogmore river to take part in the next clean up and help us maintain its beauty for many years to come.”
Secretary, Nigel Barry, said: “It will be hard for people to comprehend but the 200 tyres removed today is a small reflection of what’s actually in the estuary.
“The amount of tyres, trolleys and cones that we saw today is criminal.
“We had to prize volunteers away from the water in the end! Three and half hours in the bitterly cold weather and tough conditions was exhausting.
“The estuary is a wonderful habitat for wildlife and we saw lots of bird species, but in terms of littering, the state of this estuary is disgusting and it will take volunteer groups like ourselves years to restore it to its former glory.”