Members of Bedford Sub Aqua Club join annual River Clearance Community Project

The intrepid divers joined a team from Bedford Borough Council at the Butterfly Bridge from 9am-1pm on May 28 in a drive to keep the Great Ouse moving – by removing rubbish thrown into the river.

British sub aqua clubs across the country joined in the fight against plastic via the Million Mile Clean 2022, in partnership with ‘Surfers Against Sewage’ to clear beaches rivers, streets and mountains. Last year they cleared a total of 398,179.kg kg of plastic and packaging pollution across 1,116,226 miles of the UK.

A Bedsac spokesman said: “Removing all the hidden rubbish that can hurt anyone trying to swim or simply falling into the Great Ouse, is one thing but it has far greater significance for Bedsac divers.

"We must take care of the rivers which feed into the sea, however far up river we may be from that sea. Every time ‘Bedsac’ Bedford Sub Aqua Club members go diving they hope for good visibility to see the underwater world they love to explore.

"Clearing out the Great Ouse is an essential task for us, not just a community project. For the last 16 years Bedsac divers have dived the Great Ouse to collect these and other dangerous objects that have been thoughtlessly thrown away.

“We want to help preserve our oceans - the underwater image above, be it wrecks, reefs or undersea caves; we all want to explore this amazing underwater world; always restless, always changing and challenging, this home to a multitude of creatures.

"They come in all sorts of shapes and colours and move so gracefully through their underwater world. They welcome us to their world and are curious about us. Even sharks which are among the most beautiful creatures are more curious than threatening. After all we are the visitors in their world. We want our children and grandchildren to enjoy them, so we do our part.”

Other community projects have included working with Bedford Council to recover stone balustrades knocked into the river in a vehicle collision, giving presentations to school pupils on the oceans.