Kayak conservationist finds used needle in NI river clean up

Raising the disturbing news, Jon Medlow said the needle was found in the water just past Hoyes Meadow (after the two submerged cars, as he was heading towards Seagoe).

The river is used regularly by fishermen and rowers, many of whom are teenagers and children.

“It is the first one I have come across and I hope it is the last. Luckily the cap was covering the needle itself,” he said.

“What it contains and where exactly it came from, who knows? What is of great concern is the potential harm that this and quite possibly future needles might cause to unsuspecting river users.

“I would urge those who are using needles to dispose of them in the correct way before you cause potentially serious health issues to others.”

Meanwhile, despite gathering thousands more items of rubbish, Jon has been heartened at the show of support from the community and some local businesses.

Jon has been critical of some who had been using the River Bann as a dumping ground but has been full of praise for several local business which are willing to pitch in and help.

He revealed that the Norman Emerson Group Ltd have donated new skip bags to help with the clean up.

He said: “The old ones that I had purchased were worn through and I was on the verge of buying more.”

He added: “Jordyn from JD Tipler, who has been following the page for a number of weeks and is astounded at the amount of litter that has been removed from the river, has offered me a free meal for all the work I’ve been doing.” Jon also revealed that he had an offer from Dr Mowers Garden and Small Plant Repair.

Jon has raised concerns about the huge volume of trash found and has been critical of some local businesses whose rubbish has ended up in the river.

Last week Jon went to a spot used by anglers opposite Portadown Golf Club.

He said: “It has been in use for quite a while, going by the rubbish that has been left behind, and each time I pass here the amount increases.

“Three black bags lifted. I wouldn’t class this person or people as anglers going by the mess they have left. I’m sure there are more descriptive words that could be used.”

Last week he was joined by Campbell Best from The Y Zone (Portadown Elim Church) who noticed the work Jon was doing on the Bann River.

Jon said: “These guys, as part of their detached outreach work, engage with the young people who drink down by the river at the weekends and, as part of their work, have been trying to encourage them to find other, more positive ways to spend their time and to make more positive life choices.

“In order to help me, The Y Zone team try and encourage the young people to use the bins and clean up after themselves.

“With the Hoys Meadow area being one place which has been used over the past few years as a gathering area for the Buckfast, Echo Falls and Dragon Soup crews, Campbell asked if I could bring my dinghy along and help them with a cleanup of the area.

“Hopefully, going forward, the young folk and others who use this amazing area can keep it clean and tidy, and fit for everyone to enjoy. Thanks to Campbell Best, Keith Whitmarsh and Warren Quinn from The Y Zone (Portadown Elim Church).”

John has had ongoing complications with finding the right department to deal with certain items he has found in the river, including dead animals. And he has voiced frustration at being sent from one department to another.

In response to a query, a Department for Infrastructure (DfI) spokesman said: “The Department maintains the River Bann on a cyclical basis to reduce flood risk and maintain the drainage function of the watercourse. There are both rural and urban sections of the River Bann, that the Department maintains, with inspection frequencies ranging from every six years for rural sections to annually for urban sections. The urban section of the River Bann running through Portadown was last inspected on 13 January, 2020 and no maintenance works were identified.

“The Department does not have statutory responsibility for the removal of fallen livestock from a watercourse unless it is causing a significant impediment to the flow of water. On designated watercourses the Department would only consider removing fallen livestock to the nearest bank if it was causing, or likely to cause, a flooding problem. Such incidents where dead animals are found in a watercourse should be referred to the riparian landowner or the appropriate Local Authority.”

This week John discovered: 5,351 plastic bottles; 3,517 glass bottles; 898 cans; 255 footballs; 188 tennis balls; 68 plastic buckets; 67 black bags of rubbish (polystyrene trays, crisp packets, plastic bags, chocolate wrappers, deodorant, shower gel, sun lotion, lighters, veterinary medicine bottles, detergent, windscreen wash, tampons, condoms, shampoo, moisturiser, foam boards, sauce bottles, spray paint, pram wheels, inhaler, syringes, silicont sealant tubes and much more).