Group says canal is 'cleanest we have ever seen it'

Trustees have said the Erewash Canal is "the cleanest we have ever seen it" following a drop in levels of litter.

Earlier this summer, campaigners called for more to be done at the canal, after facing leaking locks, low water levels, repeated closures and a lack of maintenance.

The group said there has also been a rise in wildlife numbers, with groups of frogs, toads and newts being seen on the towpath in Ilkeston late at night.

The association has warned people not to touch the animals and to be careful when riding bikes along the towpath.

Stacey Reynolds, trustee of the Erewash Canal Association, said it was now possible to see to the bottom of the canal, which was not possible before.

However, she reiterated calls not to dump waste in the canal, stating litter leaks contaminants into the water.

"It's a great testimony to people's use of it," Reynolds added. "Ensuring they are looking after it, picking up litter, not dumping stuff into it."

"It means the whole ecological chain is supported," she added.

Dan Cauldwell, owner of Langley Mill Boatyard, based at the junction where the Erewash, Cromford and Nottingham canals meet, said the canal had experienced "decades of decline" and was "seen as a dumping ground".

"The Erewash was renowned for high levels of rubbish and pollution dumped in the canal," he said.

"As a society, we are nowhere near perfect, but on the whole it is much better."

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