Five million wet wipes cleared from disgusting 'island' in Thames as false teeth and trousers also found

"After months of planning and hard work, we're so pleased to have finally been able to clear this stretch of the Thames. The reaction of local communities and of people across the country and beyond has been really encouraging but also slightly incredulous that this work was needed in the first place. As a business which reinvests all the money we make back into the river and its communities, we are proud to have been able to drive forward this first-of-i"

"Environment group Thames21 and its volunteers campaigned for its removal for years while monitoring the build-up of wet wipes, and researching how those containing plastic can degrade the environment. The Port of London Authority led the three-week project, which began on August 11, in collaboration with Thames21 and Thames Water. On Thursday, they announced that 114 tonnes of rubbish were cleared from the river and taken away in skips to landfill, including almost 200 cubic metres of wet wipes containing plastics."

Congealed rubbish composed largely of wet wipes was cleared from a 250-metre stretch of the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge. Diggers used two eight-tonne excavators with a rake-and-shake method to remove wet wipes and other debris including towels, scarves, trousers, a car's engine timing belt and false teeth. The accumulated bank, about the size of two tennis courts and up to one metre deep, reportedly altered the river's course and posed risks to aquatic wildlife and ecology. Environment group Thames21 campaigned and monitored the build-up. The Port of London Authority led a three-week operation from August 11 with Thames21 and Thames Water, removing 114 tonnes of rubbish and almost 200 cubic metres of plastic-containing wet wipes for landfill.

Read at www.standard.co.uk