NICKY Campbell has posted shocking footage of swans swimming amongst foul pollution at the £550m Salford Quays redevelopment.
The Scottish presents fronts BBC Radio 5’s breakfast programme from Media City, at the heart of the redevelopment, and was appalled by what he found when he turned up for work.
Debris can be seen marooned to the dockside with swans swimming around the polluted heap.
Campbell posted Sunday afternoon: “Salford Quays. FFS.”
The clip begins with a swan rummaging around the rubbish for something to eat. A blue bucket, a plank of wood and an Irn Bru bottle are amongst the sludge.
The video pans out to see the waste stretch across the jetty to the opposite end of the quay.
More rubbish can be seen stranded on the slipway with an up-turned wooden chair floating in the stockpile.
In the distance a large group of swans can be seen paddling towards the pool of pollution.
More swans are seen trying to eat the rubbish that is being served up to the birds in the backdrop of a rejuvenated area as two pedestrians walk by unphased.
Campbell’s video has garnered over 35,000 views and is leaving many people angered by the shocking footage.
Dsandford125 said: “The state of this country summed up in a photograph. Bloody depressing.”
Janetmarland added: “Sheer bloody laziness- they can’t be bothered to walk to a bin.”
Kenmorrison7 concurred: “A Salford funeral home for wildlife.”
DGerrard1314 agreed: “It’s not just the quays Nicky. The whole of Salford is like this. I know because I live there.
“We pay one of the highest council taxes and this is what they repay you with. Come on Salford council get your act together. Start employing people again to keep our area clean.”
However some feel this mess is not the councils responsibility, but the residents.
Galaverna_GB said: “Looks pretty gross: humans are quick to foul things up & equally prompt in demanding others clear up their mess after them.
“No council should have to clean such detritus from a water course. Poor swans.”
LouiseV_wrter added: “Any chance of a Media City clean-up party?”
The Salford Quay rubbish island also made the news in early May, and yet no serious clean-up has been instigated.
The University of Manchester discovered the average figure of microplastics in the near-by River Irwell to have 84,030 pieces per square metre.
Tiny worms were even discovered to have microplastics in them on the bed of Salford Quays, the University team found tiny worms which will be eaten by fish and potentially work their way up the food chain.
Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety at Salford City Council said:
“We have five rivers flowing into Salford Quays which bring debris and litter with them, particularly after heavy rain such as we had this weekend.
“It’s an on-going problem and we work with land and water owners in the area to manage it. This particular debris will be cleared tomorrow morning.”
The Salford Quays boasts Media City home to the BBC and ITV, The Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North and near-by Manchester United stadium Old Trafford.
Salford City has received £1.3 billion pounds of private sector investment and £425 million of public investment over the past five years according to council figures.
