Canoeists unable to train in river after oil leak

A canoe coach says a pollution incident in the River Wye has left him unable to train people on the waterway.

Efforts to control oil leaking into the river in Rotherwas, Hereford, have been ongoing since Saturday, when residents spotted the oily film.

Mike Mitchell was 27 miles (43km) downstream when he said he had to get out of the river after noticing his face and paddle were coated in the substance.

Welsh Water have confirmed they were working alongside the Environment Agency (EA) - who have placed an oil boom and absorbent pads on the river - to investigate what happened.

Mr Mitchell, who trains some of the country's top youngsters in the sport, said despite being aware from social media of the spillage, he was unable to continue with training sessions as it "stings your lips and gets in your eyes".

He began canoeing on the Wye when he was 13 years old and said for more than half a century he had seen the river change "not for the better".

"The chicken manure spread on the fields gets washed down after a storm, then there's the sewage overflows – you don't know what's coming down the river from day to day," he said.

The veteran canoeist called for "more pressure on polluters to clean up their act".

In a previous statement, the EA said its staff had attended the site three times over the holiday period but the source of the leak was still unknown.

A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council, which owns much of the Rotherwas enterprise zone land, said it had no comment to make as "the EA are leading on this".

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