A TEAM of volunteers slipped on the wellies and took part in a river clearance day in Chalford on Saturday morning.

With forks, spades and saws in hand, friends and neighbours joined forces to wade up river from The Red Lion pub and start clearing away blockages in the water.

The annual work by Chalford River Team was carried out in an effort to minimise the risk of flooding later in the year.

Team member and organiser Toby Owen, said: “There were some bizarre finds - an enormous lorry wing mirror, a metal jug and a lump of concrete surrounding a beautiful old key amongst them - plus the traditional pushchair.

“The idea is to clear out anything that might block the river in the event of really heavy rainfall - so hauling out rotting planks of wood, branches and other debris makes a huge difference.

“When the rain does return and the river starts to rise we will be hopefully less likely to flood.”

Starting in the morning, the team worked for around four hours to clear debris and blockages.

The clearance was followed by the real highlight of the day – a bring and share lunch.