Volunteer appeal to help clean litter strewn stream in Bury St Edmunds

A leading councillor has issued a rallying call for volunteers to help him clean a litter strewn stream in Bury St Edmunds this weekend.

Suffolk County Cllr Mark Ereira-Guyer wants people to join him to help clear the River Lark, at the point it’s known as Tayfen stream, which has become clogged with discarded household items, rubbish and plastic bags.

The clean-up is tomorrow and volunteers can join party members who are meeting at 10am outside Turners Hyundai, in Tayfen Road.

They are advised to bring gloves and wellies.

Cllr Ereira-Guyer, leader of the Green and Independent Group, said the state of the stream was ‘truly shocking and saddening’. He said: “It’s looking like a really dirty, polluted and ugly stream in the centre of our town that a lot of people were walking by on their way upto the station.

“It’s got worse in the last two weeks because someone has put a shopping trolley in there. I do hope that over the coming spring months people and communities can get behind clean up ‘operations’ like the one we’re doing and be part of the change that everyone wants to see in the world.

“Our natural heritage and environment deserves better treatment and care than it currently gets.”

It ties into the Bury Free Press’ ‘Let’s Be Proud of Bury’ campaign which inspired residents to look after the town’s street scene.

The move also follows Cllr Ereira-Guyer’s anti-litter appeal in the Bury Free Press which saw him hand out 97 litter pickers, bought with his locality budget, to anyone who wanted to clean-up their neighbourhood. He said: “I was delighted that so many people cared for the environment.”