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Divers find 32 shopping trolleys in Ipswich river rubbish haul

Some of the team taking part in the River Gipping clean-up. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM Emma Graham

Divers found a haul of rubbish during a clean-up of the River Gipping in Ipswich – including 32 shopping trolleys, 21 bikes and a lawnmower.

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The divers, from Diveline Ipswich, Claudia Popeti, Simon Alexander and Jim Hurden, also found a lot of traffic cones, two scooters, two safes, two money tins, a rucksack full of glass bottles, a milk crate, a section of metal railing, two hubcaps and more.

The clean-up in the Yarmouth Road and Handford Road area was organised by Diveline Ipswich together with the Greenways Countryside Project and BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy Show.

Some of the items unturned by divers in a River Gipping clean-up in Ipswich. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM Some of the items unturned by divers in a River Gipping clean-up in Ipswich. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM

Diveline members Emma Graham and Trevor Laws were working on the riverbank during the event. “It’s so sad that it’s necessary for these events to take place,” Emma said.

“It’s so mindless, When we are all aware of the issues surrounding pollution, I can’t understand why anyone would throw a shopping trolley or traffic cone into the river.”

A lawnmower was among items unturned by divers in a trawl of the River Gipping. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM A lawnmower was among items unturned by divers in a trawl of the River Gipping. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM

British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Ipswich Wildlife Group, and Ipswich Borough Council were all involved in the river clean-up, together with other volunteers.

The riverbank teams picked up large numbers of cans, bottles, plastic bags and other rubbish. Emma said these items would “otherwise have made it into the sea and from there, most likely into the stomachs of marine life”.

Bottles found by divers in the River Gipping. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM Bottles found by divers in the River Gipping. Picture: EMMA GRAHAM

There tended to be a lot of rubbish anywhere that a river had a bridge over it where people could throw items in, making clean-ups necessary, Emma added. She said it was important to raise awareness, and TV programmes such as The Blue Planet were making more people aware of the dangers of pollution to wildlife.