A volunteer litter-picker who has removed thousands of pieces of rubbish from a river has thanked a town's generous people after they helped him buy a new boat.

Sean Ready's efforts to keep Thetford's Little Ouse clean sprang a leak in early December when he found a hole in his homemade boat.

He made a public plea to raise £200 for a new one so he could continue his weekly litter-pick, which yields around 100 pieces of litter a time.

Thetford's residents responded with gusto, raising more than £650 for Mr Ready, 43.

That meant he could buy a sturdy polycarbonate canoe and get back on the water. He said he had been moved by the lavish response.

'The whole thing has been very touching. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of the town, and the businesses who donated money,' he said.

Mr Ready thanked The Albion pub for its support, as well as Corinne Fulford at Leaping Hare and Sharon Thompson's EPIC group for their fundraising efforts.

He said he has now been out three times on the boat, collecting two shopping trollies in the process.

Have you made a generous donation? Let us know by emailing andrew.fitchett@archant.co.uk