FRIDGES, mattresses, and countless black bags – these are just some of the items found dumped in a Newport reen designed to stop urban areas flooding.

The current scene at Lliswerry reen is bleak. A man-made waterway that is supposed to protect the area from flooding by removing excess rainwater is instead serving as a dumping ground for all kinds of household waste.

These shocking images were taken on Broadmead Park by campaigner Darren Rice, who is working tirelessly to clear-up Newport’s waterways.

“How can people be expected to live here when they see this, it's shocking” Mr Rice told the Argus.

South Wales Argus: A mattress and other household goods lie dumped in the reen. (Picture: Darren Rice)A mattress and other household goods lie dumped in the reen. (Picture: Darren Rice)

“I’ve counted two shopping trolleys in the reen – there’s mattresses, a fridge in there and the number of black bags in there is ridiculous.

Mr Rice, who lives on the Bettws estate, set up the Canal and River Clean Up group last July after becoming frustrated with the state of waterways in the city.

“This is a Newport wide problem now,” he said.

“It’s not just in Bettws, and it’s not just in Lliswerry – there’s waterways across the city that are full of rubbish.

“And if people see more black bags building up in these waterways, they’re more likely to think they can get away with dumping their own rubbish there too.

“When I was down at Broadmead Park in Lliswerry, I spoke to a man down there who said that the council will clean the reen once every six months.

South Wales Argus: What appears to be a fridge or freezer dumped in the reen. (Picture: Darren Rice)What appears to be a fridge or freezer dumped in the reen. (Picture: Darren Rice)

“But that’s not good enough – I just feel so sorry for all the wildlife that is being destroyed because of the rubbish here.”

Mr Rice is now calling for a more comprehensive strategy for tackling issues with rubbish in the city’s waterways.

“There needs to take some pride in the city,” he added.

“How are people ever going to want to invest in Newport if it’s a mess.”

Mr Rice thinks that more should be done in schools to educate youngsters about the problem.

South Wales Argus: Black bags are a common sight in the Lliswerry reen. (Picture: Darren Rice)Black bags are a common sight in the Lliswerry reen. (Picture: Darren Rice)

“The problem is youngsters will often see adults doing this and then think its OK to do the same.

“We need to be educating them that this is a criminal act and has a huge impact on the environment of the area.

“I’m really worried about what this is doing to our city and how it will impact the future generations.”

Natural Resources Wales, the environment body that owns the reen, said: "Our officers are investigating a report of fly-tipping at Liswerry reen, near Broadmead park in Newport.

“Fly-tipping is a serious crime that is not only a visual blight on our landscapes, but damages our communities, can harm wildlife, cause pollution and  is costly to clear up as well as causing flood risk in some cases. 

“People can help us combat this crime by ensuring they deal with any excess waste and unwanted items responsibly.

"If you are paying someone to take your waste away you must check that they are a registered waste carrier using the search feature on the Natural Resources Wales website."