AN ARMY of volunteers made it their mission to clear Cirencester's River Churn of litter this Easter - and collected 120 bin bags of rubbish.

A group of 20 volunteers headed over to a brook near Kingsmeadow for the day to improve the ecology and water quality of a small river that feeds directly into the River Churn.

This particular brook in the town often falls victim to large quantities of litter, most of which is blown from nearby supermarket Tesco Extra. Volunteers arrived with bin bags, gloves and litter pickers as part of a River and Wetland Community Day.

Volunteer Sarah Wells said the path around the brook is a popular walking place for those living nearby and should be free of any eyesores such as litter. She added that the brook itself has a direct impact on the River Churn which flows through surrounding farmland and villages.

On behalf of Gloucestershire FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) Sarah thanked everyone who took part in the day's clear-up, both regular volunteers and members of the community.

"At the end of the work party, more than 120 bin bags of rubbish and a large pile of scrap metal had been collected from along 250 metres of the brook, and its fair to say that the Ubico rubbish collection lorry was looking full upon leaving," said Sarah.

"This is just the beginning of the story for this small brook as we have plans to further enhance the riparian habitat and to tackle the source of the litter problem and heavy sediment load of the river."

Anyone looking to volunteer to help improve the environmental condition of local rivers can contact Gloucestershire FWAG on 01285 700831.

Gloucestershire FWAG has held five River and Wetland Community days along the River Churn which have been funded by Thames Water.