Mermaid highlights plastic problem

A ‘MERMAID’ yesterday started a swim of the Thames from Lechlade in Gloucestershire to Teddington Lock in London.

Lindsey Cole – known as the Urban Mermaid – set off at noon from The Riverside Inn, aiming to swim the 200 miles to

London.

Along the way she will be collecting plastic to show how “we’re choking our mermaids and creatures in our waters”.

Lindsey’s support boat will be manned by artist Barbara de Moubray, who will be pulling a giant mermaid sculpture made of plastic bottles.

They will be asking all passers-by to pick litter along the river and put it into the sculpture.

By the time they reach London the sculpture will represent how much plastic is being put into the River Thames.

During November, Lindsey and Barbara will visit schools along the Thames to tell them about the plastic problem in the Thames and to educate them on alternatives to plastic.

Lindsey said: “In 1950, the world’s population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic; in 2016, a global population of more than seven billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic.

“The Urban Mermaid is a collaborative project and is supporting other eco warriors who already run initiatives. And an online alternative plastic shop has donated a kit to show how easy it is to avoid plastic in our daily life.

“We’re asking passers-by to do a two-minute litter pick,” she added.

Julie Moss, of Arkell’s Brewery, which owns The Riverside Inn, said: “We are pleased to support Lindsey and her efforts.

“It is very hard in this industry to keep plastic use down and it is something we are looking into as a company and at our various hotels, inns and pubs across the region.”