The annual Thames litter pick - designed to tackle the menace of plastic and other rubbish polluting the river - is being held tomorrow.

The event - on Saturday - coincides with the annual draw off of the river, which exposes the river bed and all the debris normally hidden by the water.

The draw off is caused by the fact the Grade II listed weir at Richmond, which normally maintains the water at a level high enough to allow boats to move through the stream, is left open.

This allows for maintenance of the weir but it also means the river can almost empty through to Teddington Lock as the tide flows out.

The draw off litter pick is organised by the environmental group, Habitats & Heritage, and takes place between 10am and 1pm.

Before it begins, meet the Habitats & Heritage team at the riverside in Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, for a short safety briefing and to collect equipment - litter pickers and waste bags.

The group said people should bring their own gloves and advises wearing wellington boots as there is very deep mud on the foreshore.

It said: "We are all now more aware of the damages litter can cause to our nature and wildlife, than ever before.

"In 2019, Thames21 recorded that 78% of litter recorded in the Thames was single use plastic, with the 2021 figure increased significantly.

"Also, in 2019, within 100m of the tidal Thames over 1000 wet wipes were found. These not only are directly impacting wildlife they are also changing the shape of the riverbed. It has been found in Barnes the riverbed has risen by nearly a meter in the last few years due to wet wipe build up.

"So why not play your part in combating these devastating effects and be sure to continue to avoid single use plastics and reduce the litter in our waterways by taking part in our litter pick."

* https://habitatsandheritage.org.uk/events/draw-off-litter-pick-2022/