Bed and sofa found dumped in Derbyshire river during Matlock Bath clean-up operation

The Paddle Peak team tackled the stretch of river between Artists’ Corner, at Matlock Bath and Cromford on their latest litter pick.

They loaded their canoes, kayaks and paddle boards full of trash, including agricultural waste, litter, dumped sanitary products and even a shopping trolley from Somerfields, a store which left Matlock many years ago.

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The river guardians also cleaned up fly-tipped furniture close to Masson Mills that had been dumped down the river bank, including a bed and sofa.

Children and staff from Matlock Bath Pre-School Playgroup joined the clean up along the riverside path from Jubilee Bridge to the Derwent Gardens.

Pete Astles, Paddle Peak’s founder, said “It was really great to be joined by the local kids in Matlock Bath today.

"It makes all our hard work worthwhile to know the local community support what we’re doing.

"All the waste we remove from the river protects the environment, it’s wildlife and saves it from making it’s way downstream and ultimately out to sea.”

Sarah Stevenson, from Matlock Bath Pre-School Playgroup, said the youngsters had spent the previous week learning about recycling and using bins for their rubbish.

Sarah added: “The children enjoyed hunting for litter and were very excited to see what the boats and paddle boards had collected from the river and couldn't believe that a shopping trolley was in there!”

Paddle Peak, a community project promoting responsible paddle sport in the Peak District, said an easing of lockdown restrictions has been accompanied by a rise in rubbish in our rivers and streams.

Members of the group, who spend time cleaning up the rivers they use for recreation, have described the situation as particularly serious at Matlock Bath, where chip trays, plastic soft drinks bottles, beer bottles and cans are a serious problem.

Pete added: “Thanks to Matlock Bath Rowing Boats for taking care of the rubbish and the Derbyshire Dales District Council Green Team for collecting it all.

"Thanks to Hou Canoes for our amazing fleet of river clean canoes.”

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