VOLUNTEERS are working to restore an East Lancashire beauty spot which has been blighted by rubbish.

Enough rubbish to fill a large skip was dragged from the River Darwen at Hoghton Bottoms, Hoghton.

The clean up was organised by Carol Price, of Valley Road, Hoghton Bottoms, and was the second major blitz on litter there this year.

Carol and her family have been clearing litter from the riverbank for a long time but grew increasingly disgusted by the state of the river.

So she enlisted the help of neighbours and others to restore the river to its natural beauty.

Among the items removed from the river were traffic cones, shopping trolleys, wooden pallets and a three-piece suite.

Carol has vowed to continue working to keep the area clean, and plans to organise a river "spring clean" every year.

She said: "I hope to prove to people that by putting in a little or a lot of effort and not being daunted by the size of the problem we can all contribute to making a real difference to our environment."

Carol has entered the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Grimewatch competition, which rewards all kinds of green projects.

There are categories for businesses, schools, local authorities, community groups and individuals.

For full details of how to enter, contact our Grimewatch co-ordinator by telephone on 01254 678678 ext 244, by e-mail on vcowan@newsquest

.co.uk, or by fax on 01254 680429.

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