Volunteers from Islington Boat Club collecting litter on their paddle boards

SOME 235 kilos of rubbish – the weight of a pair of giant pandas – has been collected from Regent’s Canal as clean-up efforts continue.

Volunteers from Islington Boat Club have been out on their paddle boards to collect glass bottles, aluminium cans and plastic bottles. The group of 56 people have so far removed 47 trugs of litter which would damage birds and wildlife in the area if they accidentally ingested it.

Some of the litter removed from Regent’s Canal

Nicola Baird, who organises the clean-ups, said: “People discard very strange things into the canal. Most litterpicks we’ll find a lighter, lost balls, kids’ toys and something properly strange. Just recently we’ve found medication, a toy eyeball, a pair of plastic jellyfish, toothbrushes and a couple of traffic cones.”