Wild swimmers concerned about E. coli in Essex rivers
A wild swimmer has called for stricter legislation to force water companies to better treat sewage.
Anna Helm-Baxter and the Manningtree Mermaids swim in the River Stour in Essex,
She said: "We're really concerned about the health of our rivers and how much E. coli and enterococci there are and, in fact, there are no legislation limiting those levels."
A Defra spokesperson said: "We are unequivocal that polluting our rivers is unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation, and tougher enforcement to tackle every source of water pollution."
You can watch more about the issue in Politics East at 10:00 BST on Sunday, 24 September on BBC One.
