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Residents 'heartbroken' by state of beck

BBC A disused, rusty trolley dumped in the Bottesford Beck. Leaves and algae are intertwined with the metal. Reflections of trees can be seen through the murky brown water.BBC
Volunteers have said work to clear the river is “overwhelming”

People who live near a river in North Lincolnshire have said they are "heartbroken" by its poor condition.

Bottesford Beck, south of Scunthorpe, is in a state of "disrepair", due to overgrown plants and litter.

John Jackson, 78, a member of the Friends of the Beck volunteer group, said work to clear the river was “overwhelming” and the council needed to "take responsibility”.

North Lincolnshire Council said it carried out “weekly checks and grass cutting every six weeks throughout the summer”.

Mr Jackson said overgrown plants covered sections of the beck and were “an accident waiting to happen”.

“Some parts of the river are extremely dangerous. Children could wander off, go in there and it would be so difficult to get them out,” he added.

John Jackson, who has light grey hair and rosy cheeks, looks towards the camera with a serious expression on his face. He is wearing a dark blue gilet.
Mr Jackson is calling on the council to do more to maintain the beck

Mike McGrory, a 57-year-old resident, believes a lack of investment has resulted in poor conditions.

"At one end of the beck it is nicely kept, but the other is not," he said. "The reeds are so high, there is litter and dog waste."

He called on the council to clean the river and banks.

Gemma Bradley Gemma took a photo from 2022 which shows the river without the long reeds or overgrown vegetation. Gemma Bradley
Gemma Bradley believes the river was better cared for in 2022, when this photograph was taken

Gemma Bradley, 42, who lives nearby, raised concerns about flooding.

"The water is congested with overgrown vegetation, which will likely cause flooding if not dealt with," she said.

“There used to be more wildlife, but it's all so overgrown now. It is sad to see the decline.”

A thick layer of algae has covered the water, while reeds, which have brown bases and brown tops, grow from the river.
Reeds provide a habitat for wildlife, the council has said

Max Bell, the Labour councillor for Ashby Lakeside, described the river as an “environmental disgrace”.

“It makes me furious,” he said. “I salute the local clean-up group, they are doing the council’s work for them.”

Mr Bell said he had asked the council to invest time and money into the river.

According to North Lincolnshire Council, reeds and other growth “provide a diverse range of habitats for wildlife”.

“When there are periods of heavy rain the beck will naturally swell," the authority said.

"The council have installed underground pipes to alleviate this."

De-silting work had also been carried out by the Environment Agency (EA) according the council.

The EA said a two-year programme of work was planned to start in winter 2024.

The group said the work would "see the in-channel vegetation and reeds removed”.

Trees along the side of the watercourse which could pose a risk to conveyance may also be removed.

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