ENGLAND’S waterways, including the Leeds-Liverpool canal which winds its way through the southern Yorkshire Dales, are being hit by a plague of dumped supermarket trolleys, British Waterways report.

The state-owned company spends £150,000 a year pulling trolleys out of the water, where they can be a hazard to boats and wildlife – money that could be spent in better maintenance or on wildlife conservation.

The company wants the supermarkets to take strong action to prevent trolleys being taken away and set up a hot-line so that members of the public can report dumped items.