Plastic barrier that collects litter to be installed at River Soar

The floating barrier dips about 30cm into the water, allowing fish to pass under

A barrier that will collect litter from the River Soar in Leicestershire is due to be installed in March.

Environmental project UOcean has been given permission for it to be put in place at Watermead Park.

UOcean founder Chris Desai said the plastic floating barrier, which costs £25,000, would run from one river bank to another and dipped about 30cm into the water, allowing fish to pass under.

The county council and the Canal and River Trust have given it the go-ahead.

Mr Desai said UOcean, run by charity The Vayyu Foundation, had been campaigning to have the barrier, called a boom, installed for 18 months.

UOcean, which has run regular river litter clean-ups in the city and county since it was founded three years ago, is raising funds to pay for the barrier.

The project will regularly remove litter from the 23m-long boom in the park in Thurmaston.

Mr Desai said he wanted "to stop the amount of plastic coming through Leicester"

Mr Desai says the natural flow of the water will bring plastic into the barrier, which then funnels down to a section where it could be removed easily and safely.

To help raise the funds for the barrier, local businesses are donating money and will have their name printed on the tubes.

Mr Desai said he expected tonnes of litter to be removed every year from the barrier in Watermead Park, Thurmaston

Mr Desai said: "On the River Soar, we have pulled out over 10,000 kilos of rubbish by hand in three years.

"We were going out on kayaks and it was inefficient."

He said recent flooding highlighted it because litter was left hanging on the trees.

UOcean has run regular river litter clean-ups in the city and county since it was founded three years ago

James Lovatt, from Leicestershire County Council which runs Watermead Country Park, said: "UOcean volunteers will clear litter from the boom, and this could save us hundreds of hours each year picking up litter along the 2km stretch of the River Soar which runs through the park.

"This project should help to keep the park clean, protect wildlife and help highlight the blight to our waterways caused by plastic pollution."

The Canal and River Trust said it was pleased to be working with UOcean and said there was "way too much plastic entering our canals and rivers".