VOLUNTEERS working to clean up the River Stour say they were aghast at the amount of plastic heading for the sea which they pulled from the water during their latest outing.

The River Project Volunteer Group has been working for six years to try and improve the river and keep it free of rubbish but group co-ordinator Rosanne Adams says members have "not seen any real signs of improvement".

She said around 500 plastic bottles, among other flytipped items, were plucked from the waterway on Sunday (January 14) and she warned: "All of this rubbish is making its way to the River Severn and from there to the sea. This is a huge problem which has drastic effects on wildlife and ocean ecosystems."

She added: "Iceland is taking steps to change plastic to recyclable material.

"Plastic bags are being removed from circulation - so some things are beginning to change and hopefully the supermarkets will take the ecological route one by one.

"However - we must all do our bit and it seems that not everyone is aware of this terrible despoiling of our fragile planet."

She has sent images of the plastic waste found in the river to Stourbridge MP Margot James and is urging her to support a growing campaign calling for a bottle deposit scheme to help combat the problem nationally.

Ms James said she was “hugely grateful for the efforts of the volunteers who regularly give their free time to clean up the River Stour" and that the images sent to her "demonstrate the scale of the problem" and she added: "There is currently a nationwide consultation considering how a bottle deposit return scheme would work for England.

"Further action is needed to reduce our reliance on plastic, and personally I am taking steps to reduce my own household use of plastic wherever possible. I also completely agree that some other countries are much better at recycling plastic bottles, so I am very pleased the Government is giving this option serious attention.”

Anyone wishing to get involved with the River Project Volunteer Group can email Rosanne Adams at rosanneadams@yahoo.co.uk.