AN 11-year project to clear the River Wye and its tributaries of all litter will be completed at the end of this month.

More than 1,000 volunteers have removed about 4,000 bags of litter and larger items from the river since 2004.

The clean-up operation has covered 1,000 miles of riverbank, from the Wye’s source on Plynlimon to Beachley Point, near Chepstow.

The project has seen more than 120 tonnes of unsightly rubbish removed – which has included whole cars – from a river that is an EU Special Area of Conservation and, for much of its length, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It has also highlighted just how much waste is disposed of into rivers, bringing into focus those issues that are not always so visible, such as the level of chemicals and siltation from agriculture and forestry.

Volunteers say 60% of the litter collected from upstream of Hereford was of agricultural origin.

A final litter pick will be held on Monday.