The Somerset County Gazette has prompted a major clean-up of the River Tone through Taunton town centre just ten days after highlighting the problem.

Workers from two local companies volunteered to clear all the rubbish in the water between Goodland Gardens and Firepool, helped by members of Taunton Canoe Club.

Their community-spirited effort came after the County Gazette revealed the problem and how the Environment Agency did not have the resources to deal with it.

Tamsin Jones, news editor of the County Gazette, said: "Their selfless work is an example to us all and they should be very proud of what they achieved. The town, in turn, can be proud of them.

"It gives us no pleasure to highlight problems such as the rubbish in the river, but as a community newspaper it's our role to report such issues in the hope that something can be done to address them."

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