Volunteers in Syston, Leicestershire, spent a day clearing silt and vegetation from Syston Brook to reduce the risk of flooding, taking advantage of low summer water levels to get ahead of the wetter winter months. The move follows severe flooding that hit homes and businesses in the town in January 2024 and again in 2025, prompting the local community group to act while conditions allowed access to the watercourse.

Nineteen members of the Syston Community Flood Group removed an estimated two to three tonnes of "absolutely solid" silt from the concrete-bottomed channel, which the Environment Agency then took away, alongside clearing vegetation that filled 20 brown bins for composting by Charnwood Borough Council. The Environment Agency, which removed 380 tonnes of silt from the brook in early 2025 and plans further works later this year, praised the community effort, while volunteer Janette Hick urged residents not to be complacent and to prepare their properties with measures such as cleared drains, flood barriers and sandbags ahead of autumn.