A leading author has called for volunteers to help clear the canals to keep the waterways clear for those on Canal Boat Holidays.

Bill Bryson, author of The Lost Continent, has joined the Campaign to Protect Rural England in calling for people to do their bit to tidy any stretch of the waterway near them.

He has timed the announcement to coincide with the Towpath Tidy 2010, which takes place between March 1st and 14th.

Mr Bryson said: 'Britain's canals and rivers are incomparable spaces for people to enjoy.

I urge everybody who wants to get Britain cleaned up to get involved.

'Last year saw 1,700 volunteers teaming up with more than 600 British Waterways members of staff in the endeavour, which involved painting, scrubbing and cutting back vegetation alongside 216 miles of towpath.

While American by birth, the author has lived in the UK for decades and written a number of books about the country, including Notes From A Small Island and Notes From A Big Country.