Divers uncover bizarre collection of waste in River Nene clean-up
Volunteers recovered a van-load of rubbish after spending six hours clearing the river
Last updated 23rd Sep 2026
A team of volunteer divers removed a van-load of rubbish from the River Nene during a community clean-up organised by Northampton Scuba School.
More than 20 volunteers took part in the six-hour operation, recovering items including shopping trolleys, tyres, a bicycle, traffic cones and even a drill and battery still in its case.
Alison Davis, owner and manager of Northampton Scuba School, said the amount of rubbish found in such a small stretch of river had come as a surprise.
"We were quite surprised at some of the things that we did pull out," she said.
"We had a van full of rubbish. We found two shopping trolleys, eight tyres, a milk churn, a push bike, traffic cones and roadwork barriers.
"We also found a drill and battery still in its case, which just seemed bizarre."
Giving something back
Davis said the clean-up was organised by Northampton Scuba School and its diving club, Scuba Nuts, as a way of giving back to the local community.
The group, which teaches scuba diving and organises trips and events for members, wanted to take on a project with an environmental focus.
After contacting Northampton Active, volunteers were able to use a section of the river where access for diving equipment was available.
A total of 22 people took part, with volunteers rotating between scuba diving, canoe support, shore support and litter-picking duties.
Supporting wildlife
Davis said removing rubbish from the river would help protect local wildlife and improve the environment for species living in and around the waterway.
While carrying out the clean-up, divers spotted fish including roach and perch, as well as crayfish beneath the surface.
"There seems to be quite a healthy fish population in there," she said.
"We've also seen a heron there on several occasions. Anything we can do to promote and support wildlife we're really keen to get involved in."
Plans to return
Following the success of the clean-up, Northampton Scuba School plans to make the project a regular event.
Davis said the group hoped to return to the River Nene every six months, or at least once a year, to continue removing waste from the waterway.
"After seeing how much rubbish was in quite a small area, it just shows the amount of stuff that could potentially be in the river as a whole," she said.
"We've got a lot of club members who couldn't take part this time who want to get involved, so we're certainly going to do it again."
The school said future clean-up events would also welcome non-divers who would like to help with litter-picking and other support activities along the riverbank.