BAGS of soil have been removed after they were found blocking a river.
Following a story in The Bolton News, representatives from the Environment Agency were sent to extract the bin bags from the section of the River Croal close to the bottom of Gilnow Lane.
The issue was raised by Halliwell resident Andrew Mulraney, who spotted the blockage, containing more than 30 bags of soil which he said smelled like cannabis.
He called the area an "absolute mess" and said there had been ongoing problems with people dumping waste in the area surrounding the bridge.
The rubbish had been left below a footbridge and was clearly visible to residents.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency tweeted images of staff removing the bags from the river.
They said: "Thanks to The Bolton News reporting this blockage in the River Croal , Team EA have been out on site and removed it to reduce flood risk.
"Residents and communities can report any environmental issue to our hotline on 0800 80 70 60."
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