Council recognises right of River Test to flow unimpeded and unpolluted

Test is one of only about 200 chalk streams in the world and councillors says biodiversity in and around it has declined

Local politicians have recognised the right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted.

Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously to acknowledge the intrinsic rights" of the rivers within its boundaries, including the Test, which is renowned for its trout and fly fishing.