See what was plucked from the canal as canoe club give it an annual clean up

A yellow traffic cone, three tennis balls and a soggy tent were among the items plucked from the canal in a national clean up, writes Martha White.

The group of 10 members from Newbury Canoe Club also rescued a semi-drowned mouse, which they are hoping will survive.

The initiative was part of the National Canal Cleanup, which is sponsored by Paddle UK, and saw the group paddle along the Kennet & Avon Canal picking up rubbish as they went.

Club member Blake Ludwig, who took part in the event, said: ‘’These clean-ups are a vital part of preserving our river and canal’s health.

“It not only helps the water to flow more freely - it also helps remove any possible contaminants to the water and wildlife.”

They managed to fill two bags of rubbish as they headed east along the canal to Bull’s Swing Bridge, canoeing alongside the banks and spotting many damselflies, as well as young ducklings, as they went.

They also pulled out a wooden spatula, a plastic chilly bin with a lid, a mop bucket, wine bottles, beer cans, a thermarest and 1.5m twisted iron bar.

If you’d like to take part next year, you can visit the website at https://paddleuk.org.uk/big-paddle-cleanup/ or contact Newbury Canoe Club at info@newburycanoeclub.co.uk

The club would be keen to hear from anyone who would like to help out.