Fly-tipping won't stop heat wave joy in Ludlow

As the summer heat wave continues families across out for the day may fancy a sit down next tot he river – but this probably isn't what they had in mind.

A sofa and a bike have been fished out of the River Teme in Ludlow as young and old alike flocked to the riverside at the town's Millenium Green park.

But the fly tipping – actually thought to have been washed down river from elsewhere – did not put off everyone enjoying the hot weather in what was a near-perfect scene, a councillor said.

Andy Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North said he was called to the park with a report of fly tipping on Sunday, but discovered everyone having a good time.

Speaking on Sunday, he said: "You could not have visited the Millennium Green beside the Teme today with wanting to laugh, splash in the river or just have a sneaky ice cream.

"This is Ludlow at its most fantastic. A real delight for the eyes.

"I was heading towards the Millennium Green at Dinham Bridge after a report of fly-tipping. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh as the children leaped on and off the weir.

"I even paddled out myself, if only to get a snap of a sofa and a child’s bike that had washed downstream. We’ll report this debris to the Environment Agency.

"The frame of the kid’s bike looks good to me. Maybe someone will adopt it but I wouldn’t recommend the sofa. Two minutes on it was enough for me."

The items from the river were cordoned off with cones to be removed at a later date.

Sunday also saw people make the most of the weather by gathering for a street party in Ludlow's Castle Square as a part the national Great Get Together in memory of Jo Cox who was killed this time last year.