AN army of litter pickers descended on the banks of the River Aire in Thackley today to continue the clear-up of debris caused by the Boxing Day floods.

Members of the Idle and Thackley Environmental Group (ITEG), which normally tidies and renovates local footpaths, were joined by volunteers to make up a team of more than 50 people clearing plastic and other waste at Buck Mill Bridge.

The group had shifted hundreds of bags of rubbish from the area already, and enlisted help from a dozen Bradford Council staff to help remove larger items such as fridges and tyres that had been washed up in the deluge.

Volunteers, dressed in an array of fluorescent high-visibility jackets, worked in pairs to drag some of the larger items up from the river to waiting skips, helping restore the area to its natural state.

Councillor Jeannette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said the team had removed more than six and a half tonnes of debris from the river.

"I would like to say an absolute huge thanks to everyone who turned up, they all worked so hard and did Idle and Thackley proud."