2,000 tyres removed from river in major clean-up operation of polluted river

2,000 tyres and 250 shopping trollies have been removed from a river in South Wales after a major clean up operation.

It is a common sight in the Morfa Brook and River Ogmore where debris and pollution accumulates. That prompted Alun, the organiser of the clean-up, to take action.

"I walk the dog down here every day and I see the state of the river, the number of tyres and trollies you see, they shouldn't be there," he said. "The sea birds often sit on the tyres, and it dawned on me this is something we need to get into."

Some 150 volunteers took part in the project designed to improve the quality of the water, with diggers provided by Natural Resources Wales to assist in the removal of waste.

The diggers help remove an estimated 2,000 tyres and 250 trollies from the river. Credit: ITV Wales

For people living nearby, like Alun, the community support behind the clean-up is vital: "We have 50 companies helping out one way or another, people in the river bed getting dirty, so my hat comes off to them. I'd like to say a massive thank you to all involved."

Neil Harrison, from Fly-Tipping Action Wales added: "The tyres at this location is a long standing issue, we aren't certain where they've all come from. It's vitally important that we remove these tyres and then monitor to see if it's an ongoing issue.

"What the scale of the operation highlights is that it's absolutely vital for businesses and the public to dispose of their waste responsibly."

Volunteers worked for eight hours cleaning up the banks of the Ogmore, motivated by their concerns of the impact on the environment.

Around 150 volunteers took part in the clean-up operation

"This is just a small example of what's come out of the river at this particular point but it is a grave concern to us as a community. The impact of this debris in the river is posing a significant risk not only to wildlife, but also potentially visitors to the area," said Angela Parry, Chair of the St Brides Major Community Council.

A local resident taking part said: "There's been a lot of enthusiasm from everyone taking part, just by the sheer amount of tyres we've pulled out of the river. It's a lovely place to come and visit, so for the community, it'll be nice to see it looking decent for a change."

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