Rubbish Paddlers discover 'magical lamp' during Falkirk area canalside clean-up

Members of the public answered the call of Charlotte Megret and Neil Smith, the ‘Rubbish Paddlers’, who sought help with their Forth and Clyde Canal towpath clean-up on Saturday.

Charlotte and Neil were delighted with the response and effort of the volunteers who, armed with Falkirk Council-supplied equipment, helped them find a lamp submerged in the water between The Falkirk Wheel and Bonnybridge.

The duo have been touring Scotland’s waterways cleaning up litter and removing discarded items.

Using paddle boards to gather litter on the water, the pair aim to recycle or upcycle material they find.

A Facebook post documenting the Falkirk leg of their journey from north west Scotland to the Scottish Borders read: “Paddling through the 630m-long Falkirk Tunnel.

“Obviously we met a barge on the way and had to get up close and personal with the walls and their beautiful calcite formations.

“We found a magical lamp in the canal.

“It is said that it will grant three environmental wishes to whomever picks it up from the depth of the Forth and Clyde.

“We wish that sustainability was taken seriously by more schools so children can learn best practices from a young age, for those that don't have the chance to learn it at home.

“We wish that the ‘Have you got the Bottle’ Scottish return scheme stopped being pushed back because of unwilling businesses.

“We wish that more people took the time to make space for nature in their lives.”

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