ROD Hannon intended to go for a nice stroll along the River Wye to take in its beauty but was shocked to discover raw sewage floating on the surface.

The 61 year old had gone to the river by the Greyfriars Bridge in Hereford with his wife Mariana to feed the swans.

The couple from Bobblestock walked down the steps on the bridge on the southside of the river on August 18 and underneath the bridge when they spotted the sewage.

Mr Hannon said: "We were hoping for a nice walk along the river. We could see this white sort-of frothy mess on the surface as we walked along by the new bridge.

"We could hear a rushing sound. We thought it wasn't right. Then the smell hit us and I realised it was sewage."

Mr Hannon took video footage of the foam which was rushing out from the side of the river but he said the smell was even worse.

He said: "The smell was absolutely foul. I felt pretty sick about the fact there was raw sewage being pumped into the river."

He said he felt concerned about health risks as people use the river for water activities such as canoeing.

The couple then walked down to the old bridge to feed the swans and could see toilet tissue and sanitary towels floating in the water.

Mr Hannon said: "People fish there. There is contamination for fish as well as the wildlife. "We didn't walk much further."

He said he grew up by the River Thames near Windsor and could remember seeing river pollution from sewage as he was growing up. But he said he thought things had changed and rivers were looked after.

Mr Hannon added: "Obviously you have got to do something with sewage and treat it. You don't expect it to be pumped into the river."

A spokeswoman for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water said: “We can confirm that we have not received any reports of sewage flooding to a watercourse in the Hereford area.

“As part of our network, like all other water companies, we have a number of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) which act as release valves when the network fills up with rainwater and diluted wastewater. Sometimes, during heavy rainfall, we have to protect our customers and their homes and businesses from sewer flooding and so this CSO ‘release’ system is vital. Without it, sewerage systems would back up, flooding buildings, streets, highways and open spaces with diluted sewage and rainwater from manholes, drains and toilets.

“Our pollution technician has attended site and checked the area. We can confirm that no signs of sewage spill have been found.

"We encourage anyone to report any possible pollution sightings to us to ensure it is investigated and resolved as quickly as possible, if you notice any spills to a watercourse, please contact 0800 085 3968.”

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: “When out enjoying the environment, if you see pollution or have any concerns about the environment, you can call us 24/7 on 0800 807060 or report it on line at https://www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident.”