Divers spend six hours clearing river of waste

60 minutes ago

Sarah-Jane MuddimanNorthamptonshire

News image — A team of divers from Northampton Scuba School with their haul from the River Nene

Northampton Scuba School A team of 16 divers, dressed in everyday clothes such as jeans and t-shirts standing in front of a large pile of fly-tipped waste. The pile includes a number of old car tyres, a shopping trolley, a large milk churn, many large full black bags, a Highways Agency barrier, planks of wood and what looks like a side table upside down. The team is smiling proudly with the River Nene just behind them, and the sky is blue with some white wispy clouds. — A team of divers from Northampton Scuba School with their haul from the River Nene

A team of divers from Northampton Scuba School arranged a six-hour clean-up of the River Nene in Northampton.

They collected two old shopping trolleys, a milk churn, a number of car tyres, an old bike, a drill and charger.

The event on Saturday 19 September was organised alongside Northampton Active and Northampton Rowing Club, with the aim of clearing as much rubbish from the river as possible.

Organisers at Northampton Scuba School said they are committed to removing waste from the River Nene on a regular basis and plan to return in the coming months.

Northampton Scuba School A diver in full diving gear which is all black and with an oxygen tank on their back emerges from the water with a large piece of wood. They are holding onto a green canoe, handing the wood to another person wearing red and black who is in the canoe. We can just see that person's lower body, as they receive the large plank of wood from the diver. — A diver from Northampton Scuba School removes a large piece of wood from the River Nene during a six-hour clean-up

Northampton Scuba School Roughly 12 team members, a mix of male and females as well as a variety of ages, stand in a circle. They are in front of a white gazebo, and are all focused on one person talking to them. Some stand with hands in their pockets, some with crossed arms and two men have their arms across each other's shoulders. They are all wearing casual clothing such as jeans, tracksuit bottoms and t-shirts. The group stands on grass, with thick bushes behind the gazebo. — Team members received a safety briefing before starting

A spokesperson for Northampton Scuba School said: "It was an amazing day and a brilliant example of what can be achieved through teamwork, support and a shared commitment to our local environment.

We are incredibly proud of everyone who took part and are looking forward to continuing this important work."

Northampton Scuba School Six adults stand on a wooden jetty overlooking the river, with diving equipment piled up to the side. There's a diver emerging from the water, next to a ladder leading out of the river.

The clean-up team was loaned two canoes from Northampton Active, which were used to support the divers.

The Northampton Canoe and Kayak Club also provided a ladder to help divers get in and out of the water safely.

Anyone not diving was invited to join the litter-picking team along the riverbank, where waste was also collected.

Organisers said the amount of waste collected shows that there's a lot of work to do, and the team will now support regular dives throughout the year.

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