WATER disgrace.
These shocking photographs show the "disgusting" state of Grimsby's River Freshney, which North East Lincolnshire Council workers battled to clean yesterday.
Among the filth in the water at the Riverhead was a part-submerged television surrounded by thick, green sludge littered with plastic bottles, bags, footballs, chip board and other rubbish.
NELC leader Councillor Chris Shaw has urged people to stop polluting our waters with rubbish – but locals say it should never have been allowed to get this bad.
Mother of two Helen Kershaw, 34, wanted to take her nephew for lunch on the Riverhead benches and feed the ducks.
But even the birds were put off by the grime.
She said: "It is absolutely disgusting. It should never have been allowed to get this bad.
"It is terrible to see it like this."
NELC say their Community Pride Team also cleaned the Riverhead's water last week.
Last year a clean-up scheme was rolled out to keep the Riverhead rubbish-free, including weekly cleans in the summer and winter cleans when required. The bulk of the rubbish and thick, greenish-brown sludge was by the wall at the Barge end of the Riverhead.
It is thought it had collected there from the River Freshney and been made worse by the bad weather and the fact the boom at Sim White Bridge has been taken away for repairs.
Owner of the Barge, Derrick Howard, 50, sees cleaning the water as an ongoing battle.
He said: "It is the worst I have seen it in the 21 years I have been here. I am getting a lot of comments about it. It's going to be difficult to clear.
"If you were a complete stranger to the town, I can imagine you would be put off by it."
Neighbourhood action group, Friends of the Freshney (FOF), have spent years campaigning for a cleaner River Freshney.
FOF vice-chairman Keith Watkin said: "It is disgusting and it shouldn't be happening. Too long has been spent on blame and not enough is being done.
"There are places like Lincoln and Louth where the rivers are their thing. We should be doing the same."
Mr Shaw said: "We are disappointed with the state of the Riverhead area.
"Individuals have thrown items such as litter, a television, a shopping trolley and other large items into the river which make the area look uncared for.
"It is, however, the responsibility of us all to keep this amenity clean and tidy."
Meanwhile shoppers were shocked by the state of the water.
Penny Watson of Patrick Street, Grimsby, said: "It is terrible. When the sun is out it stinks. Even the ducks don't like it!"
John Metcalfe, 74, of Louth, added: "It is not a good advert for Grimsby to have the centre of town looking like this. I have never seen it this bad before."
