CAMPAIGNING Nicola Bailey is on a one-woman mission to clean up rivers and waterways in Southend after getting sick of finding rubbish dumped in them.

Nicola, 30, of Victoria Road, Southchurch, set up the South Essex River Clean-up Group after seeing groups regularly litter picking on the seafront and realising there was no similar group for protecting biodiversity in Essex’s rivers.

As a member of the Essex Wildlife Trust, she received the organisation’s backing and managed to raise £25 to buy litter picking equipment on Crowdfunder.co.uk and a team of ten volunteers on Do-it.org – making Prittle Brook their first target.

She said: “It’s absolutely disgusting the things people leave here – I’ve already found half a toy car, half an iPad and massive suitcase full of clothes – but I’ve also seen hares and barn owls, and that biodiversity needs protecting. I contacted the Wildlife Trust and they said they didn’t have any groups at the moment but were happy to back me if I wanted to set one up.

“Next week we’re actually going to go along the River Roach because that’s where all the biodiversity really needs protecting, but working along Prittle Brook has been a good warm-up for that.”