Man hailed ‘community champion’ after removing eyesore bins from canal

Jason Melvin has been praised on community social media groups for his efforts in putting some pride back in the Great Sankey area.

It comes after photos were shared of him safely entering water at Sankey Valley Park to remove wheelie bins dumped there by yobs.

Some of the bins had been in the water for more than a year, with the photos being liked hundreds of times by thankful residents.

One commented: “I just walked over the bridge and saw they had gone. What a difference it makes. Respect for doing such an awful job. It is really appreciated.”

On his actions, Jason said: “I saw on Facebook that a man named John was cleaning up Sankey Valley with a rope and a hook, removing bikes, metal bins, and other objects that had been thrown in.

Jason Melvin removing a bin (Image: Supplied)

“However, he was struggling to reach the blue bins, so when I saw his post, I decided to go and have a look for myself.

“Seeing the three blue bins in the water has a negative impact on the area, spoils the scenery and could possibly cause danger to wildlife, among all the other stuff that had been thrown in.

“I contacted John and we decided to meet up and arrange a plan for me to get in the water and remove the bins.”

He added: “These bins, or at least one, have been there for over 12 months. I am sure something could have been done to remove them in that time, but they have just been left.

“As a community, there are many people in this area who will try to keep it clean, and I hope this has a positive impact on our area.”