Beauty spot river is 'dying', worried pupils say

The children have been carrying out tests with the help of PACE (Practical Actions for Climate and the Environment), a charity which started life in nearby Manningtree in 2019.

One of its founders and trustees, John Hall, said the group had been sampling water in the River Stour for three years and had adapted their process for the children.

"I've been in biology all my life so I understand a lot about the different insects and other animals that live in rivers, plants in rivers and so on," he said.

"If they [the school pupils] have got that understanding then they'll want to do something about it, they'll want to make sure the water quality of their river is as good as possible."

Using a technique called riverfly monitoring, the sampling looks at levels of invertebrate life in the water, which means any pollution or deterioration in water quality can be quickly detected.

The Environment Agency said it respected the "citizen science" work of PACE Manningtree and welcomed the new Water (Special Measures) Act, which is aimed at improving the regulation of water companies in England and Wales.

"The Act will give us, as regulator, more power to protect our precious water quality and resources, hold water companies and others to account and ensure the polluter pays," it said.

"A number of factors can affect water quality. It is certainly not just about water companies. Weather, animal poo, road-run-off and littering are all to blame."