River ceremony calls on councillors to protect Wye

The Goddess of the Wye puppet accompanied the river water into the council offices

The importance of the River Wye has been recognised in a special ceremony at Herefordshire Council.

River water was brought into the council's Plough Lane headquarters accompanied by the giant Goddess of the Wye puppet.

The river has been at the centre of court action this week, with campaign group River Action accusing the government and the Environment Agency of failing to protect it from pollution.

Friday's ceremony is thought to be the first time a council has officially recognised the role rivers play for nature, the economy and our wellbeing.

"It's so important that we work together to protect the River Wye and its tributaries and streams," said Roger Phillips, the Chairman of Herefordshire Council.

The latest court case follows a series of reports into the levels of agricultural pollution in the Wye.

Councillors pledged to do what they could to help protect the river

Last year, Natural England downgraded the river's status to "unfavourable, declining".

The judicial review, being heard at the High Court sitting in Cardiff, is considering the role of the EA, which has jurisdiction on the English side of the Wye.

River Action said the organisation had failed to enforce the farming rules, which call on farmers to make sure fertiliser does not get into watercourses.

The EA said it would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings but that "anyone caught breaching environmental laws faces enforcement action, up to and including prosecution".

Scientists say phosphate in animal muck is leaching into the water causing algae which damages plants and wildlife.

Elissa Swinglehurst said the river should be at the centre of decision making

At the ceremony in Herefordshire on Friday the river water was accompanied by the Save The Wye community choir and campaigner Vey Straker dressed as Lady Wye.

Jonathan Lester, leader of the Conservative group, read a poem he had written about the river before the council held a minute of quiet reflection.

Councillors were given a small vial of river water to carry with them as a reminder of their duty to protect and restore the Wye.

"The protection and restoration of our rivers should be central to our thinking, discussions and decision making," said Elissa Swinglehurst, cabinet member for the environment.

"A healthy ecology also supports a healthy economy."

“What is happening here is ground-breaking," said Paul Powlesland, from Lawyers for Nature.

"I believe that the rights of nature will be to the 21st Century what human rights were to the 20th Century, and we’re just at the start of that journey."