A clean-up of the River Rom is seeking to address some of the critical problems in local waterways.

Environmental charity Thames21 welcomes volunteers tomorrow (May 19) to remove an invasive plant species threatening the riverbank.

Volunteers of all ages are invited to contribute to improving a vital Romford nature spot at the Chase Local Nature Reserve.

This comes amid a crisis in our waterways and recently sewage dumped in the Thames hospitalised a man for 13 days, according to the BBC.

Will Oliver, development manager at Thames21, said: “In the Rom there has been the problem where foul water from people’s properties drains into the river.

“The Rom is not the cleanest, but we are seeing an increase in the quality of the water thanks to our volunteers.”

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Oliver said their group events typically attract 10 to 15 people, but said he was expecting more this time.

He also said the event would help reduce the flood risk to the area and provide a habitat for plants and animals.

Rewilding the Rom will run from 10am until 2pm tomorrow.