by Shocking footage shows how a stretch of river was left looking ‘like a Third World country’ after it was ‘festooned’ with rubbish following floods. Large sections of the River Soar have become clogged with domestic and industrial waste following widespread flooding from Storm Henk in Leicester. Hundreds of thousands of items of rubbish can be seen washed up along the banks of the river and stuck in trees along a stretch that goes for more than a mile. One university academic, who researches plastic pollution in the environment, said she had never seen anything like it in the UK. Professor Sarah Gabbott, from the University of Leicester, said the scenes reminded her of the parts of Africa she had visited as part of her research. She has now warned people who have been illegally dumping and dumping rubbish in the area that their actions are having a ‘devastating’ impact and killing wildlife. She said: “I have never seen anything like this in the UK before. “These scenes would not be out of place in some of the developing countries I have visited as part of my research such as Africa. “I’ve been to Nairobi, Kenya, and Malawi and witnessed scenes like this and we have much better waste management systems in place. “It’s really incredible. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we came across it. “The river is just festooned in plastic bags and material of all different colors and types. “It’s almost like a landfill, which has just been shoved into the Soar River. “It’s a scary picture of what’s under the river, something we don’t usually see.” Professor Gabbot said the dirt was left behind when the floods brought rubbish that was already in the river to the surface. She said that in addition to aluminum cans and plastic bottles, she also saw kitchen units, fire extinguishers, car bumpers, tricycles, barbecues, mattresses and sofas after Storm Henk. She believes much of the issue stems from people disposing of waste in the Brook further up the river and littering with little care for the environment. Professor Gabbott, who also volunteers with the Green Circle Nature Regeneration CIC, said litter dumped on the streets is entering the river because of rain. She said: “We’ve had these incredible floods and the water has risen, broken over the banks and all the rubbish in the river has been washed across the floodplain. “Now it’s stuck so we can see it. It looks like our dirty trash is being hung out to dry where we can all see it. textile cutouts and throw away labels – fire extinguishers, kitchen units, tricycles, barbecues, televisions, mattresses, sofas, everything really. “There is a huge dumping site in Nairobi, the biggest in Africa, and rubbish from slums is washed into the rivers and snags along the trees. That reminded me. “When we go out on the river, we use sonar to look under water. and aluminum cans are so dense in places that you can’t see the bottom of the river. “It’s the same on the river bank where you can’t walk without constantly sharpening cans. “It’s usually a pleasant place and people come here for food and drink but they throw their rubbish. “It also kills wildlife. There are otters in the river and recently we had to rescue a swan that had a fishing line around its neck and was choking. “We want to educate people about the impact of this. Our fresh water is often overlooked as the focus is on the oceans. “But as a result of the litter that is dumped in this stream, it flows into the River Soar, into the River Trent and then into the North Sea. The damage this is doing. We have a terrible litter problem here. “We are giving children out on the river by boat, teaching them about the river, how it works, about nature, about the environment and how important it is. “I hope they will talk to their friends and family and this kind of trash will stop happening again. “There are many Indian-derived fabrics and fishing line from elephants that are made for prayer but then thrown aside in the river. “But it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure we stop ruining our beautiful rivers. What we really want is to stop it happening in the first place.” Local resident Chris Haughton, 34, from Leicester, who regularly walks his dog on the riverbank, said: “It’s absolutely horrible. It’s like a rubbish island in places. “It looks like something from a Third Country. World – not the UK. I knew we had a problem here but this lays it bare for all to see. It really shames you.” Chris Desai, founder of the Leicester environmental charity UOcean, which cleans waterways, told the BBC: “We see this kind of pollution every day. “When I saw it, I was just ‘that’s the River Soar and that’s why we do this’ but for the public to see, they’re shocked they don’t believe.” A spokesman for Leicester City Council said: “Clearing litter from the waterways is a constant challenge, and the problem is exacerbated after periods of flooding when waste accumulates as the water recedes.” Illegal littering and disposal is illegal but, sadly, that doesn’t stop some people from polluting the environment, harming wildlife and causing eyesores by dumping their waste in the water. We will be taking our boat and our volunteers out to tackle the worst affected areas as soon as water conditions improve.”
