They were making the most of the low water levels caused by a collapsed culvert earlier this month. With the waterway temporarily closed all sorts of rubbish was revealed and accessible for the first time in what could have been years since it was thrown in.
Working at locations near Spencer's Lane in Melling, and Stanley Road and Coffee House Bridge in Bootle, the teams removed tyres, half a canoe, a broken safe, a baby seat, a motorbike, and even a pale pink bathroom suite.
Dozens of items were removed with grappling hooks and brute strength and then taken away to be properly disposed of, leaving the canal a much more attractive place for wildlife, and for people and boats when they are able to return later this summer.
Alice Kay, volunteer coordinator at the Trust, said: "The canal is usually such a lovely place to be so to see all the rubbish that lurks underneath, having been deliberately thrown in, was a real shock and also very disappointing.
"It's reassuring though that many local residents joined our regular volunteer team and members of social enterprise group Safe Regeneration to take on the difficult task of hauling it out and improving their local environment.
"All rubbish, whether it's a crisp packet or a car tyre, needs to be disposed of properly, either in a bin or at your local tip. Please don't dump it in the canal where it is an eyesore and can cause harm to wildlife or damage boats."
