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Volunteers in Leicestershire are waging war against an invasive species that's crowding out native flora in our rivers. Jan Cope, along with her team, have been working to remove Himalayan balsam from the River Mease in North West Leicestershire. Himalayan balsam was first imported to the UK by Victorian botanists in 1839. The plant - which has been prized for its bright pink flowers - can grow 10ft (3m) in just one season. But it has no natural rivals and can quickly dominate ditches and river banks, choking native plants and damaging soil erosion. Jan and other volunteers have spent over 400 hours clearing more than 12 kilometres of the river of the invasive species, as well as 22 bags of litter. Jan, who is retired, tells Kelly Hinch that she would love to have more volunteers on board to achieve even more for the protected river.