Plastic is ruining Britain’s rivers and putting wildlife at risk, the Canal & River Trust has said, as it revealed that reported litter incidents have risen threefold since 2012.

The trust, which manages inland waterways in England and Wales, said that it received more than 1500 complaints of excessive litter and flytipping last year.

Although the body spends around £1 million per year policing water waste, with 40 ‘Towpath Taskforces’ it admitted that “the problem just seems to be getting worse”.

Plastic waste has a particular impact on water wildlife, because it floats on the surface of waterways rather than sinking to the bottom, it warned.

Both swans and ducks are badly affected by plastic waste, which is harmful for them to consume and can be mistaken for good nest-building material.

Unlike other degradable litter like paper, plastic can remain in the water for many years.

“It causes significant harm in the waterway environment because it does not biodegrade and disappear like paper does but instead it lasts practically forever, just breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces under the action of sunlight and erosion,” a spokesman for the trust said.

He also suggested that the increased prevalence of disposable packaging had contributed to the increase.