‘Someone is going to die’: MPs warned of E coli risk to swimmers in English waters

Clean river campaigner says pollution poses threat as Labour MP calls for water industry to be taken into public ownership

A clean river campaigner has warned of a serious risk someone will die from swimming in English rivers and seas because of the level of E coli from water pollution.

Charles Watson of River Action, speaking on Wednesday as the bathing water season officially opened, said that with warm weather approaching and half-term in a week, thousands of children and families would be taking to rivers, lakes and seas. Most of these sites are not monitored for E coli, as they are not designated bathing sites.