Haul of litter picked up from river path in Stafford

Volunteers from Stafford Litter Heroes, a group of litter pickers, turned out in force to clean up the River Sow pathway between the Civic Centre and Riverway bridge in the town.

Founder Becki Woolrich and volunteer Kim Leath-Edwards ventured into the river itself during the pick on Sunday.

She said: "We’ve got two pairs of waders which we put to good use in getting to those items that are completely out of reach from the riverbank.

"We had been wondering whether it was going to be possible to get into the river actually.

"A week ago after all the rain we’ve had the water levels were really high but since then they’ve returned to more or less normal so we went for it.”

The group has used a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to buy new equipment to help them tackle litter easier.

The litter heroes have now been able to use long-reach tools, which helps them pick up floating items on the river.

Ms Woolrich said she hopes the group can raise awareness of the damaging issue.

"Obviously we pick up litter but it’s also about raising awareness generally about waste and rubbish in our communities and environment," she said.

"When we’re out litter-picking we often have people talking to us and sometimes we hear about their own tidy ups close to where they live or in a spot that’s important to them.

"Although there’s a long long way to go we’re starting to see a recognition of the damage that’s being caused on a massive scale globally.

"We’ve come to realise that people really do care deeply about the whole issue of waste, so we want to channel that energy for a positive change.

"In the meantime we’ll carry on with what we do and extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like to come join our amazing volunteers on any of our events and litter picks.”

For more information, email staffordlitterheroes@gmail.com