River Stour: Hundreds take to the water for clean river campaign

More than 350 people have taken part in a mass swim to support a campaign for bathing water status.

Wild swimmers are applying for the status for the River Stour in Manningtree, Essex, meaning water quality would be monitored.

A total of 369 took to the water on Saturday afternoon, including swimmers, children paddling and those on boats.

Helen Whitehead, who helped organise the event, said: "It goes to show how many people love and use the Stour."

"It's such a precious resource and we must keep it that way," she added.

The S.W.I.M (Safe Water in Manningtree) team has to count the number of people who use the water on 20 different days over the summer to prove it is a popular bathing spot.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considers how many people bath there, whether the site has suitable facilities and where investment would have the most impact when making its decision.

Manningtree Beach is impacted by three sewer storm overflows which spill into the Stour, but only one has been monitored by Anglian Water since last April, which recorded eight sewage spills for 15.5 hours last year.

Catherine Arnold, from the S.W.I.M team, said: "People are absolutely fed up with our waterways being polluted and they want action to stop it. We'll keep going until we know we can swim and use the river safely."

If the application is successful, the Environment Agency will take regular samples during the bathing season to give swimmers a clearer picture and to assess whether action is needed.

Anna Helm Baxter, from the campaign, said: "Bathing designation helps the public make informed decisions about where to enjoy our inland waterways safely. It will help us hold polluters to account."

More than 400 coastal locations around the UK have been given the designation, but this only includes a handful of rivers. Only 14% of rivers are considered ecologically healthy in England, according to The Rivers Trust.

Sir Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex, swam during the event and said he fully supported the campaign.

"I'll take the message back to the government. I've always enjoyed wild swimming and it is everyone's right to swim in clean water.

"Rivers should be as nature intended, not used as waste receptacles for our society," he said.

An Anglian Water spokesperson previously said: "We're already working alongside community groups on several rivers in our region who are keen to apply for bathing designations, to help them monitor local water quality and understand other factors which contribute to river health."

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830