Motorbikes, wheelie bins and doors among items recovered in clean-up of Sunderland pond

Downhill Pond after the clean-up by Sunderland council.

Workers also found gas bottles, mattresses, doors and door frames dumped in the pond at Downhill Community Sports Complex by thoughtless fly-tippers.

The clean-up was prompted by Redhill ward councillors Ronny Davison and Paul Stewart in response to concerns of local residents about the state of the pond, which is home to a bevy of swans.

Now a member of the council's cabinet is appealing to the public to help look after the pond following its major clean-up.

Coun Amy Wilson, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: "It's unbelievable the amount of rubbish that came out of there during the clean-up, and absolutely shameful that anyone would think it's okay to dump waste in a pond in the first place.

"You only have to look at the 'before' pictures to see the horrendous filth the poor swans were having to swim around in.

"The clean-up has made an amazing difference both to the appearance of the pond and to swimming conditions for the swans.

Swans swimming among flytipped waste including wheelie bins at Downhill Pond before the clean-up.

"I'd appeal to everyone to help us keep it that way, and if you do see anyone dumping anything there to report it."

People can report fly-tipping and litter to the council at Sunderland.gov.uk" rel="nofollow">Sunderland.gov.uk or on 0191 520 5550 or to your local ward councillor.

Since February 2017, there have been more than 1,300 formal warnings and notices and 173 fixed penalty notices issued for environmental crimes across the city, including littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping.