TORFAEN pupils enlisted the help of some creepy-crawlies to clean up a section of canal in Cwmbran.

The schoolchildren from Nant Celyn Primary School were on hand to help Torfaen council’s ecology team to introduce weevils into the canal.

The youngsters from the school’s eco committee wrote to the council after becoming concerned when they saw a number of dead fish in the canal.

The North American weevils are being used to tackle an invasive species of water fern.

The fern (Azolla filiculoides) was found in the Ty Coch section of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and grows rapidly, covering the water surface and reducing oxygen levels which suffocates fish and plant life.

It was introduced into the UK in the 1800s as an ornamental plant and is now one of the UK’s most invasive species. The weevils are regarded as the greenest and most sustainable way to tackle the problem as they don’t cause any damage to humans, other animals or plant life.

Councillor Fiona Cross, Torfaen’s executive member for the environment, said: “The last couple of years has been particularly bad for Azolla spread due to a number of mild winters. The volunteers from the Waterworks Restoration Project and Waterway Recovery Group have done a great job trying to keep it at bay, but now our officers have identified a clean, green solution to the problem.

“The weevils should start to do their work after a couple of weeks and hopefully this will prevent the fern from re-growing in significant quantities.”