Anglers in Clitheroe asked to take five pieces of litter home as popular river reopens for fishing

Fishing passes are now on sale for the popular spot following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

But Ribble Valley Borough Council is backing an Angling Trust campaign asking anglers to take five pieces of litter home with them, regardless of where or what they fish for, or whose litter it is.

Littering and fly-tipping is a significant problem in Ribble Valley, with 60 fly-tips a month alone.

And after just one recent hot weekend council workers collected over 300 bags of rubbish – enough to fill eight transit vans – from the Edisford riverbank.

Stuart Carefoot, chairman of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s community committee, said: “The last few months have been a testing time and highlighted the importance of public spaces for our health and wellbeing. The lifting of lockdown restrictions has seen people getting out and enjoying open spaces, but sadly this has been accompanied by unprecedented amounts of litter.

“It’s a big ask, but if every angler in the UK supports the Take 5 campaign in just a year 15 million pieces of litter would be removed from the environment.

“We are warmly inviting anglers back to our rivers and would like to thank them for stepping up to help us tackle this problem.”

Dr Emily Smith, environment manager for the Angling Trust, said: “Our Take 5 campaign encourages anglers to spend five minutes after fishing to collect litter, or simply take five pieces of litter home with them.

“This will make such a huge difference and reduce the risk of wildlife getting trapped in bottles, cans or cutting themselves on glass.

“The angling community has really taken to this campaign and we feel it is something that could be adopted by everyone who enjoys the countryside.

“With over 60 million people in the UK, if we all made this small gesture once a year it would result in a staggering 300 million pieces of litter being removed from the environment.”

Fishing permits in Ribble Valley start from £16.50 a day for local adults (£7.80 for juniors and seniors) to just £53.40 for a season for local adults (£22.90 for juniors and seniors).

Adult visitors can expect to pay from £20.20 to £66.60, depending on the duration of the permit, with substantial discounts for juniors and seniors.

To buy a fishing permit or for information on angling staycations in Ribble Valley, phone the Platform Galley and Visitor Information Centre in Clitheroe on 01200 425566.

The Angling Trust represents angling in England and Wales, and campaigns to protect fish and fishing. Further information is available at anglingtrust.net.