Ten canoeists collected almost half a tonne of rubbish from the River Medway last week.

Fifteen shopping trolleys, a fire extinguisher, a bicycle and large wooden hand rails were among a mammoth haul dragged from the water as part of an evening of action.

Volunteers from Tonbridge Canoe Club joined forces with Tonbridge Flood Wardens as part of the Love Kent Hate Litter and Littergram campaigns.

The Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (TMBC) organised clean-up came in response to recent reports of abandoned trolleys at several locations.

The team paddled past Strawberry Vale, Ashby’s Point, The Botany and Bewley’s Weir to clear debris using four empty canoes as floating bins.

TMBC’s refuse and recycling contractor, Veolia, disposed of the collected items.

A spokesman for TMBC said: “While the Environment Agency has primary responsibility for the upkeep of the river, there have been a number of organised clean-ups on the River Medway in the past year resulting in a noticeable impact on the appearance of the river and the environment around it.

“The council will be looking into the possibilities of working with other organisations in Tonbridge to prevent litter in and around the river.”

The canoe club runs an Environmental Champions Award scheme which aims to encourage more people to improve the environment.

It is open to all residents and anyone can nominate a person or a group to become an Environmental Champion.

To do so, please call TMBC’s environmental projects coordinator on 01732 876295 or email waste.services@tmbc.gov.uk.