A WOMAN from Salisbury is so dismayed by the rubbish marring the city’s riverbanks that she has decided to form a group to clear it up.

Pauline Ruffle wants to get together a working party to patrol areas hit by litter and pick up the empty packets and bottles dropped on the ground.

She said: “Salisbury is a truly beautiful city but its rivers are marred by litter pollution. Rubbish that is dropped close to rivers is easily blown into the water where it can injure or even kill wildlife.

“Although the council employs people to empty the bins, nothing seems to be done about rubbish that is dropped on the ground.”

Mrs Ruffle is also encouraging people who park through the city’s parks and open spaces to pick up any litter they see and put it in the bin.

She works in Salisbury and used to walk through Churchill Gardens on her way to work each day and picked up some litter on the way.

Although she now lives in Warminster, she still works in Salisbury, and is hoping to form a group to pick up litter and to raise awareness of the difference it can make if everyone just picks up a few pieces on their journeys across the city’s parks and open spaces.

“There will always be litter louts,” she said, “but the amount of litter lying around in our parks and open spaces could be considerably reduced if, when people walk through a park they pick up litter that is in danger of getting into the water, particularly plastic bags. “People concerned about germs could carry a pair of disposable gloves with them.”

If anyone is interested in forming a working party to take practical action to reduce litter in and around the rivers can contact Mrs Ruffle at pruffle@hotmail.com.