SELFLESS volunteers braved torrential New Year weather to help clean up a Whitefield park which had been ravaged by the floods.

About 25 people turned up to Springwater Park in Whitefield on Sunday, along with Besses councillor Elizabeth Fitzgerald, to fill more than 50 bin bags full of rubbish which had been thrown up by the River Irwell, which burst its banks on Boxing Day.

The volunteers, aged between 21 and 78, came from as far as Westhoughton in Bolton and Droylsden in Manchester to help clean up plastic bags, clothing, furniture, tyres — and even a green plastic recycle bin — from the banks of the river.

The clean-up was run by the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, which offered to carry out the work to allow Bury Council to focus on residents in Bury and Radcliffe who had been affected by the flooding.

Mike Duddy, who runs the voluntary group, said: "We are an ecology group so just wanted to do our bit and allow Bury Council to concentrate on the poor families that had been affected by the floods.

"The weather was horrendous but 25 fantastic volunteers came out to help us and they made a massive difference to the way that the park looks. The youngest person who came was 21 and the oldest was 78, so there really was a wide range of people who came to help. Some didn't even live in the area.

"We are very lucky here that our floodplains allow for the river to rise, and if the banks burst, homes are not affected like they have been in Radcliffe."

Whitefield Labour councillor John Mallon, who has been active with the Friends of Whitefield and Unsworth Parks volunteer group, was unable to attend the clean-up but praised the actions of the trust and the residents.

Cllr John Mallon said: The way that the Bury residents have responded to the flooding really is a blue print to the future. We have developed good community network groups from it and I hope that this will continue."

The Mersey Basin Rivers Trust is looking for volunteers to help clean up Close Park in Radcliffe this Sunday. For more information visit merseybasin.org/flood-clean-up-event-close-park-radcliffe-sunday-10th-january.