Pictures: Shocking destruction of 'enchanting' Herefordshire riverbank

A one-and-a-half mile stretch of the river Lugg in Herefordshire has been intentionally destroyed, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust said, which will have huge repercussions for wildlife downstream.

The trust, which did not say where the damage was found, said the river and its banks had been bulldozed, straightened and re-profiled into a sterile canal, with bankside and riverside habitats “completely obliterated”.

The scene before the riverbank was bulldozed. Picture: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

The scene after the riverbank was bulldozed. Picture: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

The destruction of the river and its banks, home to crayfish, otters and salmon, lampreys and dragonflies and some rare river wildlife, was a crime against nature, the chief executive of the Herefordshire Trust Helen Stace said.

“A large stretch of one of the UK’s most important rivers, the Lugg, has been devastated with dire consequences for wildlife and water quality downstream – this is a tragedy,” she said.

“The bankside trees are all grubbed out and burnt, the river gravels have been scraped away and the beautiful meanders of the river have been straightened and re-profiled.

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“As former leader of the English Nature rivers team which notified the Lugg as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, I know this river to be one of the most enchanting tree-lined reaches with immense value for wildlife. This is a crime against the environment. Swift action needs to be taken and we want to see the authorities investigate the matter swiftly.

“We expect this case to be dealt with in a serious and robust manner and any resulting prosecution should act as a deterrent to prevent anyone committing this type of crime ever again.

The river Lugg's bank has been bulldozed, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust says

“We will also be calling for restoration of the river to its natural channel.”

Andrew Nixon, conservation senior manager of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, added: “Removing all bankside vegetation and scraping out the riverbed and banks will cause a huge increase in the speed the water moves through the river and increases the flood risk downstream.”

The river Lugg's bank has been bulldozed, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust says