The huge amount of rubbish being dumped on East Lancs Railway that's putting its fight for survival in jeopardy

Sofas, mattresses, garden furniture and children's toys are among the mounds of rubbish that have been found dumped on the tracks of the East Lancashire Railway.

Volunteers at the popular tourist attraction, in Bury, say they are having to shell out thousands of pounds to remove the items.

The ELR is due to reopen on May 1 but its preparations are being hampered by continued fly-tipping and vandalism along its twelve-mile track.

To remove the rubbish, volunteers have had to put on special services costing thousands of pounds each - putting strain on the attraction's 'already fragile' finances.

The patrols have already collected six wagon loads of rubbish - including items as large as sofas and mattresses.

Mike Kelly, chairman of the ELR, said: "It’s really frustrating to see rubbish casually dumped on the railway like this.

The East Lancashire Railway has had to put on services to patrol its tracks and collect the rubbish (East Lancashire Railway)

“The upsurge in anti-social behaviour has put further strain on our already fragile finances - as we have been forced to collect and remove all this waste we have to run special services and hire skips which costs the railway several thousands of pounds we cannot afford to spend.

“As well as the litter, we’ve also suffered extensive vandalism to fences from the individuals who have been using the railway tracks as a dumping ground during lockdown.

"And with safety trains running during lockdown to maintain the line and prepare for reopening, anyone trespassing on the railway is putting themselves in danger.

“I would like to call on the help of the public, and would ask people to be vigilant and report any instances of trespass they may witness."

Volunteers at the East Lancashire Railway say they have been removing huge amounts of rubbish from its tracks (East Lancashire Railway)

The East Lancashire Railway has been fighting for survival since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Deprived of vital visitor income for most of the past twelve months, it has been forced to rely on fundraisers, loans and grants to stay afloat.

The railway, which runs between Heywood and Rawtenstall via Bury, says it had put Covid-19 safety measures in place ahead of its scheduled reopening next month.

The East Lancashire Railway's two station pubs, the Trackside at Bury and Buffer Stops at Rawtenstall, are due to reopen next Monday (April 12) for outside service.