Thomas Garland and his family have “spent their lives” on the River Wye.

“I live in the Forest of Dean, and the river has always been part of my life,” explained the 24-year-old.

“On a hot day, playing in the water, which was so clear – it was beautiful. One day, I’d hope to bring my own children here, and give them all the experiences I had with my dad.

“That’s why it’s such a shame to see the state of the river now.”

Thomas is one of hundreds of people living or working near the Wye who have joined forces to hold alleged polluters of the rivers to account.

Leading environmental law firm Leigh Day has begun a community legal action against Avara Foods, its subsidiary Freemans of Newent and parent company Cargill PLC.

It alleges the companies are responsible for producing excess phosphorus from chicken manure through intensive poultry farming practices. Phosphorus is the leading cause of pollution in the River Wye and its tributaries, affecting wildlife, local businesses and recreation.

Thomas and his brother Nicholas raised more than £1,500 for Pancreatic Cancer Research by canoeing the length of the Wye in 2018.

“Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer has affected our family – we have lost two relatives to the disease – so we wanted to raise some money through our Canoeing for Charity Facebook page,” explained Thomas.

“We were actually quite worried after we did it, because of the state of the river, and were really concerned it might have affected our health being in the water.”

He added: “There is a lot of upset in the community here about the pollution. People are angry. It’s just so sad. 

“We just want to see the river restored to what it once was, so future generations can enjoy it the way we did.”

Jeffrey Hancorn owns a development site for 33 houses in Canon Pyon, a village in the catchment of the River Lugg, which flows into the Wye.

New developments are on hold until phosphate levels in the catchment areas have lowered to optimum levels, so Jeffrey has been unable to obtain the planning permission he needs to build.

He explained: “My development site would have been built and people living in the homes if the river had been clean, and the phosphate moratorium had not been implemented.

“Young families in particular, in this area, are unable to get on to the property ladder due to the shortage of houses.”

He added: “This pollution has not only meant the death of the river, but the death of communities.”

Caroline Tivey used to be a big fan of the River Wye. The keen wild swimmer moved to Herefordshire in 2001 and found the river to be a great alternative to the sea.

Now, however, Caroline says the condition of the river is “so poor” she no longer swims in it.

“I was a regular swimmer in the Wye both at Bredwardine and Hay – it was one of the benefits of moving here,” she explained.

“I started to notice the stones on the riverbed had become slimy and to begin with, I wasn’t sure why this was. When I found out it was allegedly caused by pollution, I stopped swimming there altogether.”

Adam Fisher runs Angling Dreams in Ross on Wye, offering day fishing tickets and guided angling on the Wye. 

He says the river pollution has already had a detrimental effect on his business.

“My takings have dropped because of the state of the river,” Adam explained. “In the summer, following an algae bloom, the river smells bad and it’s not pleasant to be around, so my customers choose to fish at different times of year to avoid the algae blooms and stench.

“They choose to come in the autumn - or not at all.”

Adam has lived in the area all his life, he added. “When I was a kid, in the summer I would swim in the river and boil kettles from it to drink,” he said. “Now I would not bathe a dog in it.  

“The image of beautiful clean water in the Wye has vanished.”

Leigh Day has issued a ‘letter before action’ (LBA) to Avara Foods, Freemans of Newent and Cargill PLC, to allow the companies to resolve the dispute before court proceedings begin.

Leigh Day is bringing the claim on a no-win, no-fee basis. Those joining the claim will not have to pay anything to Leigh Day if they lose and insurance is in place to cover the defendants’ costs. If the members of the community win their claim, they will pay a percentage of any compensation won in the case (plus VAT) to the legal team, There is no upfront fee to join the claim.  

To join the claim or find out more about the environmental impact of the pollution and the group legal action visit www.leighday.co.uk/riverwyeclaim.