A CAMPAIGN to raise awareness about the misuse of road drains leading to the Kingsbridge and Salcombe estuary is being launched by the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The AONB will be working with local schools and the general public to encourage people to stop dropping litter into road drains.

Nigel Mortimer, from AONB explained: ‘Many people don’t realise that most of our road drains drain the rainwater straight to the nearest watercourse – whether that be the local pond, stream, river, estuary or beach.

‘Drains are all too frequently used as disposal units for litter, cigarette stubs and worse. People wouldn’t dream of directly polluting the waterways that bring us such joy, but that’s exactly what’s happening!’

Over the next couple of months, the AONB will be working with local town councils and schools to mark some of the most misused road drains in Salcombe and Kingsbridge.

Special drain markers will be used to indicate ‘rogue drains’ - with a sign featuring a yellow sea bass and the message ‘only rain down the drain’.

Each sign will also indicate whether the drain flows to ‘stream, estuary or beach.’