An environmental organisation in West Cumbria has been given a national award for for its work in cleaning up a river.

West Cumbria Rivers Trust removed 2.5km worth of plastic liner from the River Keekle helping to restore the river bed.

They have been awarded the UK River's Prize 2021 from the River Restoration Centre, a very prestigious award.

Luke Bryant, Assistant Director at West Cumbria Rivers Trust, said: "We’re absolutely delighted to have won the UK River Prize and it’s fantastic to have our hard work recognised.

"We’re extremely proud of the project’s results – it has transformed the local environment. The river is re-naturalising and should become perfect habitat for fish spawning.

"A project of this scale involved working with numerous partners, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, designer AECOM, contractor OpenSpace, and consultants Dynamic Rivers and the University of Salford.

"It’s great to see the award celebrating partnership working."

It is thought to be the biggest river restoration of its kind in England.

West Cumbria Rivers Trust removed the 180-ton liner and restored the riverbed with natural stones and gravels in 2020.

The awards ceremony was held in Harrogate this week with the prize being judged by a panel of industry experts.

It celebrates innovation and best practice in river restoration and catchment management.

Sharon Kennedy, Environment Agency Sponsor for the River Restoration Strategy, said: "The Environment Agency are delighted that the River Keekle Project has won the UK River Prize.

"The River Keekle project was one of the most significant river restoration projects delivered in the UK and has improved the water environment in the area, with multiple benefits for people and wildlife.

"Removing the plastic has also prevented the material entering our oceans and the river is now in a much more natural condition, improving habitats for some of our iconic fish species.

"It is with ambition and collaboration that this project came to fruition, showing we can seize moments like this together to recover cleaner, rebuild greener and restore and improve our planet for future generations."

The restoration was part of the Environment Agency's River Restoration Programme in Cumbria and the initial pilot phase was funded by the programme.

The second phase was funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development’s Water Environment Grant.