New App for 'River Rangers' Helps Track Pollution

The app enables pollution incidents to be reported and tracked  (social media picture)
The app enables pollution incidents to be reported and tracked (social media picture)
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New App for 'River Rangers' Helps Track Pollution

The app enables pollution incidents to be reported and tracked  (social media picture)
The app enables pollution incidents to be reported and tracked (social media picture)

A group of environmental campaigners have created an app to help keep track of pollution levels in local rivers.

The idea came from members of the River Rivelin and Loxley Rangers, a volunteer group based in Sheffield.

Users have been encouraged to submit photos and videos of pollution in the waterways that can then be reported to the Environment Agency

The rangers want to improve the recording of discharges into the rivers, BBC reported.

The app's designer John Blewitt, who has spent 40 years monitoring the rivers, said he wanted to be able to keep track of how long it took the authorities to respond to reports.

He said: “If it doesn’t look like water and it smells funny, then there’s a problem and it’s worth recording it on the app.”

supplied

The app enables pollution incidents to be reported and tracked and also includes a map of incidents that will help the rangers build up a wider picture.



David Beckham and Gary Oldman Awarded Knighthoods

FILE PHOTO: David Beckham shakes hands with Britain's King Charles, next to Meryl Streep, as they attend the King's Foundation Awards ceremony, on the 35th anniversary of The King’s Foundation, at St James's Palace, in London, Britain, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/Pool/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: David Beckham shakes hands with Britain's King Charles, next to Meryl Streep, as they attend the King's Foundation Awards ceremony, on the 35th anniversary of The King’s Foundation, at St James's Palace, in London, Britain, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/Pool/File Photo
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David Beckham and Gary Oldman Awarded Knighthoods

FILE PHOTO: David Beckham shakes hands with Britain's King Charles, next to Meryl Streep, as they attend the King's Foundation Awards ceremony, on the 35th anniversary of The King’s Foundation, at St James's Palace, in London, Britain, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/Pool/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: David Beckham shakes hands with Britain's King Charles, next to Meryl Streep, as they attend the King's Foundation Awards ceremony, on the 35th anniversary of The King’s Foundation, at St James's Palace, in London, Britain, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe/Pool/File Photo

Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles' annual birthday honors list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honor.

Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.

His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.

Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama "Darkest Hour".

He also had roles in the "Dark Knight Trilogy" and the "Harry Potter" movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama "Dark Horses".

Other famous names receiving honors included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.

Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.

More than 1,200 people received honors for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.