Restoration volunteers working on the Carshalton arm of the River Wandle have been shortlisted for a national river restoration prize.

Wandle Trust volunteers were named winners of the Urban Project category of the 2016 UK River Prize for their improvement work on the historic river.

They will now go forward as finalists for the overall prize along with three other restoration project workers across the UK.

The rehabilitation project’s volunteers established a brown trout population in the river for the first time in more than 80 years, and increased the river’s resilience to future pressures.

Their long-term vision is to now maintain and grow the population of brown trout, and extend their work upstream.

Volunteer coordinator at the Wandle Trust, Polly Bryant, said: “The river has a chequered past, and a lot of restoration needed to be done – and still does.

“But this is a promising start, and establishing brown trout in the river for the first time in 80 years is, of course, an achievement.”

The overall winner will be announced on April 26 at the UK River Prize awards dinner in Blackpool as part of the River Restoration Centre’s Annual Network Conference.

Martin Janes, River Restoration Centre managing director, said: “The 2016 River Prize has attracted an exceptional and diverse group of projects from across the UK and demonstrates how much passion and effort goes into restoring the health and beauty of our rivers and their catchments.”