Ranger defends 'messy' city river

A riverside ranger has said residents should play their part in keeping a Leicester river clean.

Some people have complained that parts of the River Soar and its banks are covered in litter and graffiti.

They say it is looking untidy for the city's 10th annual Riverside festival, which takes place this weekend.

Ranger Adrian Lane said that regular clean ups were carried out but the litter was soon put back into the water by passers-by.

He said: "At times it [the river] can look a little bit messy but it doesn't matter how much you pay for your property whether it's a luxury flat of £1m or a £150,000 terraced house, it's the same issue, the river should be clean.

"On Saturday I had a group of volunteers out with me and we did a good clean up session in the immediate area. There is still some rubbish out there that we've still got to tackle ... but it's very time consuming.

"It doesn't matter how many times we go out. With the society we've got today, it still gets back in."