'Dumping 60 bags of rubbish is an assault on river'

Sixty bags of rubbish had been dumped in the River Waveney from a bridge

An instance of fly-tipping along a river popular with kayakers and canoers has been described as "an assault" by a river trust.

On 3 June about 60 bags of rubbish were dumped in the River Waveney from Billingford Bridge, Oakley, Suffolk.

Katie Utting, the project officer at the River Waveney Trust, described the act as "utter callousness".

There were plans to clean up the river on Friday, but the effort will now take place this coming Friday.

The River Waveney is popular with kayakers and canoers

"Our plans to recover material for proper disposal on Friday were scuppered by trailer problems," explained Ms Utting.

"It's heartbreaking to see the utter callousness with which the river has been treated.

"It is just one more assault on the health of the river, already under so much stress from agricultural and urban runoff, sewage, abstraction and climate change."

Photos taken from the area show black bags and rubbish in the river, which had floated downstream.

Ms Utting added that it was "long overdue" that people began "to understand that we are a part of the environment".

"It time we all started to treat this vital habit and resources with the care it deserves," she said.

The river flows from its source at the village of Redgrave to the sea at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

The River Waveney Trust was formed in 2012 with a view to safeguard the environment and ensure the river remains healthy.