Cleaning up the River Thames

Volunteers help clean the banks of the River Thames during the lowest daytime tide in five years, which exposed litter normally hidden by water. The event was organised by waterways charity Thames21 , to raise awareness of the problems caused by plastic bags Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk A volunteer covered in mud. 'Deep Clean' took place in four different locations in west and east London and volunteers were encouraged to come along wearing old clothes, boots and gloves Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk Volunteers carry debris away. Each year, with the help of around 8,000 volunteers, Thames21 says it removes more than 1,000 tonnes of harmful litter from the River Thames, its tributaries and the canal network Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk The low tide revealed large amounts of litter, most of which were plastic bags and bottles. The environment secretary, Hilary Benn, said: 'People and supermarkets have made real progress in nearly halving the amount they use and opting for more sustainable alternatives, but the fact that people are still clearing up plastic bags from the Thames shows there's still a lot of work to do' Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk Rescuing a volunteer stuck in the mud Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk The rubbish will be collected by the Port of London Authority and recycled or sent to landfill Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk Volunteers working at North Woolwich. According to the charity, 250,000 plastic bags have been collected in the Thames in the last 10 years Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: guardian.co.uk Volunteers working at North Woolwich Photograph: Graham Turner Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian