MAY I make an appeal to all anglers and walkers along the St Helens Canal from the Sloop Public House on Liverpool Road towards Fiddlers Ferry to please take their litter home, especially bottles, cans and plastic bags.

This, to my mind, is one of the most pleasant areas in and around Warrington, but is being continually spoilt by the litter thrown into the canal or left on its banks.

Not only is it unsightly for other users, but it is extremely harmful to the wildlife which at the moment is still abundant.

I was fortunate, a few weeks ago, to talk to a wild life photographer who was taking photographs of a tiny shrew that showed no fear of us.

Rabbits abound, moorhens, mallards, swans and coots have all raised families successfully and the water is showing some lovely water lilies.

Toad spawn has hatched and now the swallows are flashing up and down the canal.

Having said that, so far we appear to have lost at least one swan and possibly two cygnets for reasons I am not aware of, because there were far too many white feathers near the overflow and I am worried as to the cause.

So may I appeal to all users of the canal bank to enjoy their surroundings but at the same time look after our amenities, be vigilant and report any incidents to the rangers at Sankey Valley Park.

J SMITH

Great Sankey