A NEW island has emerged in the centre of Worcester.

The floating mass of rubbish, collected beneath the main road bridge, has become a haven for birds.

The mound of debris and litter - including beer cans, plastic bottles, tyres and even gas canisters - was washed down the river Severn by recent flooding and has collected beneath the arches of the bridge.

Yesterday it remained unclear who is responsible for removing the rubbish.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said someone was being sent to assess the situation.

"We have the power - but not a duty - to remove debris from a watercourse, but we will only do so if it is causing a flood risk, not just because it looks unsightly," she said.

Ian Jarvis, of British Waterways, said it was not the organisation's responsibility to remove the debris, but added that it had a barge with an onboard crane ready at Diglis if help is requested.

"Some of it will wash away naturally but we will try and remove the big pieces and dispose of it properly," he said.

Worcester City Council said removing debris from the river was the responsibility of the person who owns the riverbank, although it sometimes did help the clear-up operation.