Dereham Canoe Group cleans up the River Wensum

Seven members of the Dereham Canoe Group took to the River Wensum at Swanton Morley to undertake in a clean-up as part of a national Big Paddle Cleanup.

A bicycle being loaded onto a canoe after it was discovered by the river at Swanton Morley (Image: Supplied)

Volunteer coach Sue Pagett, 60 and from Watton, was among those taking part. 

She said as one of just 210 chalk streams in the world, the Wensum was a precious resource which needed careful attention.

Miss Pagett said: “As a rare river, we are aware that we need to do all we can to protect and respect it.

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“We launched from where our club is based on the Wensum and paddled upstream to the bridge by the Swanton Morley waterfalls and picnic site.

Adam, one of the Dereham Canoe Group members, picking a bottle out of the River Wensum (Image: Supplied)

“We collected two bags of rubbish, mainly glass, plastics and food wrappers, a disposable barbecue, two punctured balls, a paddle, towel and a bike from the river bank. 

“We recycled all we could and posted the bike on a local website to try and find the owner.”

Miss Pagett said the Wensum was one of only 16 in the country that was classed as a  Special Area of Conservation, which made it “pretty special”.

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The river is home to otters and water voles, insects such as mayflies and dragonflies, aquatic animals like white-clawed crayfish and lamprey and birds such as buzzards and kestrels. 

James Brown, chairman of the group, said: “I’m really glad our members have helped to clean up part of the River Wensum.

"Bottles, cans and plastic junk can cause horrible injuries to wildlife. The Wensum is one of the most precious habitats for nature in the whole of England.

"It deserves the highest level of care and protection.”