Four TONS of dumped rubbish is removed from the canal in Milton Keynes

Volunteers from the Inland Waterways Association’s Milton Keynes branch gave 170 hours of time to haul four tons of rubbish out of a 9.2 mile stretch of the Grand Union Canal last week.

The items found included a large length of drain pipe, five supermarket trolleys, four bicycles, six tyres, and a large spring mattress which was so heavy it had to be lifted out by a dredger.

Chris Durham, chair of IWA Milton Keynes branch said: “We had to operate a scaled down clean- up this time to protect our volunteers in the current situation but we still managed a huge haul."

He said over recent years volunteers had removed more than 60 tons of rubbish from the canal through

Milton Keynes.

"It’s unbelievable what gets thrown in but the waterway is a much cleaner environment thanks to the work of our volunteers.”

A large workboat was towed by a tug skippered by James Griffin of hireboat operators Wyvern Shipping, who also provided manpower, equipment and sponsorship. On the workboat, volunteers grappled items from the centre of the canal and also collected rubbish gathered by the towpath team.

Teams from TS Ocean Naval Cadet Corps in Leighton Buzzard carried out litter- picks through Leighton Buzzard and a tea-boat, crewed by Diane and Andy Witts, provided refreshments on both days.

Canal & River Trust (CT), the navigation authority for the Grand Union Canal, supported the event by providing the workboat, safety equipment, and staff manning a dredger. The dredger assisted with heavy items dragged from the canal, and compacted the load on the workboat when necessary.

Chris said: “Four tons is equivalent to the weight of two mid-size SUVs. We last cleaned up this stretch of canal two years ago so it hasn’t taken long to fill up again."

He added: "Getting outdoors and working as a team to clean up the canal is a lot of fun. We gather twice a year on different stretches of water in the area to make the waterway look nicer for everyone who uses it. If anyone is inspired to come along please do take a look at our website – waterways.org.uk/miltonkeynes to find out more. You would be very welcome.”