Dumped 1990s cars recovered from Paisley reservoir

Nine cars dumped at the bottom of a Renfrewshire reservoir since the 1990s have been removed by Scottish Water

The rusted vehicles were revealed at Lower Glen Dam in Gleniffer Braes country park, Paisley, after water levels fell in a dry spell last year.

The 'classic' cars - including a Vauxhall Carlton, Nissan Prairie and Fiat Uno - were towed out, washed down and inspected by local police.

A new park gate has been installed to prevent illegal dumping in future.

The removal team led by Scottish Water contractors, Georgie Leslie, included divers and environmental experts who worked with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Police Scotland and the Ayrshire Rivers Trust.

Water levels at the reservoir were gradually lowered to allow fish to be rescued and potential contaminants to be soaked up.

Police inspected the vehicles before they were taken to the scrapyard

The cars included a Vauxhall Carlton, Nissan Prairie and Fiat Uno

Gerry O'Hara, Scottish Water project manager, said: "This tricky operation was months in the planning to ensure every little detail had been thought of and that we got it right.

"Our attention now turns to getting things in the park back to normal for everyone.

"We're refilling the reservoir to its original level, in a controlled manner, and we're continuing to test water quality to ensure there are no issues."

The nine cars recovered were a 1984 Vauxhall Carlton, a 1988 Rover 827, a 1995 Citroen AX, a 1994 Ford Mondeo, a 1989 Citroen XM, a 1988 Nissan Prairie, a 1987 Vauxhall Astra, a 1990 Peugeot 605 and a Fiat Uno from an unknown year.

A SEPA spokesperson said: "We are pleased the works passed without incident and steps have been taken to positively improve the local environment."

A new gate has been installed and Scottish Water and Renfrewshire Council are considering placing barriers around the reservoir.