Plastic pollution of the White Cart Water is at pandemic levels, according to the kayaker who is dedicated to fishing it out.
High water sweeps waste from Glasgow’s southside into a natural trap just upstream of at the Hamills waterfall in the centre of Paisley.
Paisley company Calamity Kayaking will resume lessons on the Cart when restrictions lift.
And boss Paul,45, has spent seven months doing his best to clean-up.
He said: “I lost count after filling 400 bags with rubbish.
“There is no doubt the level of plastic pollution is shocking.
“It’s not Renfrewshire Council’s fault, it’s the fault of everyone who doesn’t bin their rubbish.
“And it becomes everybody’s problem.”
Paul revealed the natural bend of the river before the Anchor Mill acts is where most of the plastic becomes trapped.
He said: “I just want to try and make an impact, not just as someone who tries to make a living from the river as a kayak instructor, but as a lover of wildlife and nature.”
To help capture the floating waste Paul has made his own “noodle net” to string over the surface.
He takes pictures of the rubbish to chart the level of the problem.
Renfrewshire Council backs Paul’s astonishing efforts by collecting all the rubbish bags.
One thing that is being saved is a blue space hopper , which now takes pride of place in his garden.
